


Pardon the Intrusion

by Masane



Series: Yukibana [1]
Category: Senki Zesshou Symphogear
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, F/F, Flirting, Fluff, Friendship/Love, POV First Person, Post AXZ, Secret Crush
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-12
Updated: 2020-09-13
Packaged: 2021-03-03 04:06:42
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 46,743
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24138580
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Masane/pseuds/Masane
Summary: A sudden visit from her kouhai and a promise to go to a café together will lead Chris to spend a whole weekend with her.Confessions are made, leading Chris to face her own feeling, taking decisions for herself and her kouhai.Where does their relationship will left them by the end of the week?
Relationships: Akatsuki Kirika/Tsukuyomi Shirabe, Finé & Yukine Chris, Kohinata Miku & Tachibana Hibiki, Tachibana Hibiki & Yukine Chris, Tachibana Hibiki/Yukine Chris
Series: Yukibana [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2000635
Comments: 5
Kudos: 29





	1. Come in

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chris receives an unexpected visit.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a little story I wrote to test myself in English.
> 
> EDIT 18/06/2020:  
> New version of the story, as well as fixing some mistakes.
> 
> EDIT 26/06/2020:  
> Fixing even more mistakes.

“Damn it, forgot I ran out of Anpan and of course didn’t think to buy some on the way home to refill my stock,” I mutter to myself while checking the contents of my cupboards for my prized snack. “Seem like I will have to settle with potato chips for today,” I resign myself while grabbing a bag of onions flavored chips.

“YASSAI MOSSAI! YASSAI MOSSAI! YASSAI MOSSAI!” hearing my phone signaling me of a new email, I left the bag of chips in the kitchen and moves toward the living room where my phone is, the sender is my hyperactive kouhai, loveable dummy and hugs monster Tachibana Hibiki, _‘still need to make her calling me senpai at least once before I graduate,_ ’ ignoring this random thought I check the content.

My Dummy: _Hi, Chris-chan, I’m at your door, can I come in?_

The message contains no emoji, which is strange considering she usually uses them a lot, the content itself also confuses me a little, I mean if she is at my door right now why didn’t she just rang the doorbell or knocked at the door, hell, she usually would just barge in using the key she had since I got this apartment. Something must have happened.

Reaching the door and opening it, she was here, standing a bit awkwardly, her phone in one hand and a paper bag in the other as well as her school bag at her shoulder.

I stared at her a moment without uttering a single word, seeing her fidgeting a little under my gaze until I break the silence, “What the hell are you doing here?” I ask her, faking being irritated at the situation.

“Well… I wanted to pay you a little visit after today’s mission so… here I am… hehehe,” she laughs lamely at the end.

I eyed her again, this time with a little suspicion in it, losing myself in her beautiful eyes. I must have been staring at her for a moment since she’s now avoiding my eyes, looking at the ground and shifting her weight from her right leg to the other. Refocusing myself on the situation at hand I release a sigh.

“Whatever, come in,” I say to her while heading inside.

“Eh? I can?” stopping myself at her question, I look back at her and she seems really surprised, _‘she wasn’t expecting me to let her in,’_ I bite my lip at the thought.

“You already made all your way here,” I start an explanation, “judging by the fact that you still have your school uniform as well as your bag mean that you didn’t stop by your dorm for some reason and came here directly after your talk with the old man.”

“W-well, I-” I interrupt her before she says anything else.

“And with this behavior of yours currently, I guess that you have something weighing on your heart, we can talk about it if you want, so come in. It’s warmer inside too,” I finish with a small smile.

Giving a small smile at her turn, she follows me inside, locking the door behind her and muttering a thank you as well as an apology for the intrusion. Once in the living room, she put her winter coat and her bag on one of the arms of the couch before turning to me, a little unsure on where laying her gaze on while fiddling with her fingers. Taking mercy on her, I’m the one talking first.

“So… What's in this paper bag? It doesn’t seem to contain one of the old man’s movies to me,” I ask pointing to said bag that my eyes lands on since she arrived, _‘that will distract her of any serious thought she could have.’_

“Huh? Oh! It’s for you,” She hands me said bag, which once I hold it notices its warmth, opening it and looking inside, I’m surprised by its content and I look at Hibiki once more, “I found this place on the way here, they had these on display and after trying one I bought some of the recent batches for you, try one, you will love it.” She responds to my unvoiced question with a smile and an eager look on her face.

_‘Good, she is smiling again,’_ Taking one from the bag and biting in it right away, I have to recognize that these freshly baked Anpan are freaking amazing, the best I have ever eaten, crispy on the outside, soft on the inside and the Anko a little sweeter than the store-bought one that I usually get. _‘I need to know this place name’_ , “What’s the name of this place?! Tell me its name! Now!” I know how forceful I sound, but we are talking about a place that sells the best Anpan I have ever eaten so I really don’t care.

Looking at me a little stunned by my seriousness and little outburst, “I think it was called… ‘Calamity Crowe Café’, C3 for short, seem to have recently opened, I can show you next time,” she rapidly answers with a thoughtful expression before setting with a bigger smile than the last one.

“Then tomorrow, after I finish with club activities,” I smile, seeing her more like her usual self.

“I will come watching you. Chris-chan is always so cool during club activities.” feeling my cheeks heat up at her words I look away to hide my blush. Before a silence take place between the both of us she asks, “So what were you doing before I came?”

Putting my flustered face under control the best I can, I answer her, “Well, initially, doing my homework while eating a bag of chips, to begin with.”

“Ahhh… And now that I’m here with you?” she asks again hopefully, thinking that my answer will change, which it will, just not in the way she hope for. Forming an evil grin, I tell her, “Now that you are here, you get to do your homework while I do mine, and instead of a bag of chips we got to enjoy these that you bought,” shaking the bag of Anpan.

Seeing her hopeful expression morphed into horror by my merciless words I follow, “But since I’m a very kind senpai, you just have to do what’s needed for tomorrow and then we can watch a movie the old man recommended me, what do you think?”

“I feel like no matter what I say, it would not change anything about the homework part,” she mutters while pouting, ‘damn, she is too cute when pouting like that, I want to hug her.’ I thought, rapidly putting it aside and resisting the sudden urge.

“Damn right! As your senpai, I can’t let you skip on your homework, so come on, the faster you begin, the sooner we will be able to watch the movie.” I say to her, going for the fridge to take something to drinks, “What do you want to drink? I’ve got Fruit Juice, Milk, Green tea, Barley tea, Calpis, Ramune, and Cola.” Saying she wants a Ramune, I take one bottle for her and the carton milk for myself as well as two glasses.

Reaching the table where she is seated I set the drinks between us, “So, what are your subjects?” I ask her once I’m seated with my books.

“History and Math, I can manage history on my own but the math…” she grimaces at the end, eyeing the math’s book as if it was her worst enemy.

“Fine, begin with history, I will help you out with math once I’m done,” _‘I’m really going soft on her. Well, it’s not that much of a bad thing at this point.’_

“Really!? Yosh! I will do my best.” Taking an Anpan, she attacks her homework with an enthusiasm that I never thought possible from her.

“You then do this… and here the answer,” I tell her, showing each step to solve the equation, the last one.

“So it’s how you do it; I somehow always understand better when someone else explains it to me.” She looks at her books with amazement before smiling at me.

“You’re not the only one, sometimes, teachers’ lessons can be too close to the book. While the method’s shown works, its explanation isn’t enough for the student to fully comprehend it and thus causing trouble applying it.”

“Right, Miku said the same thing to me once. Still, thank a lot for the help Chris-chan, now I’m confident that I will be able to do great in class tomorrow.”

“Only if you manage to stay awake during the lesson. Now let’s clear the table and set up for the movie, but you have to finish this first,” I said, handing the last Anpan to her.

“Huh? I can have the last one, really?” She asks me dumbfounded before eyeing the pastry I held with suspicion.

“Take it as a reward for the good amount of effort you put into your homework,” I tell her, “I will go fetch some more snacks while you take the blankets from the closet.”

“Then I will take it.” Taking the Anpan in her mouth, I head toward the kitchen before I heard her, “Chris-chan… do you mind if we share the blanket?”

I open my mouth, ready to shut down her idea on reflex before taking a double-take, _‘She is unknowingly giving me a reason to be close to her, I must take it, just need to not sound too eager or seemingly agreeing too easily while accepting.’_

“It’s ok if you don’t want to, Chris-chan, I don’t want to make you uncomfortable with this.” Her voice interrupts my thoughts, _‘shit! I was taking too long to answer; I can’t let this rare chance going through my fingers!’_

“We can share one,” I said a bit too quickly to my liking, “but there will be no cuddle,” I manage to follows while pointing a warning finger at her, _‘That will have to work.’_

“Then we will just snuggle each other,” She responds with a grin, to my surprise and slight confusion.

“That’s basically the same thing,” I replied flatly, _‘did she just ignore how I acted just now?’_

“Actually, no Chris-chan, cuddling would be mostly referenced as holding someone in your arms, and snuggle as getting really comfortable with someone or something, in this case, I want the two of us to get comfortable using the same blanket with our shoulder touching at best, no holding each other needed,” she finishes with what I think is a smug on her face from where I stand in the kitchen, which leaves me stunned.

Gathering my thought to her words, I decide to humor her, “What you are saying seem to hold a certain logic. A logic possible by researching said subject or your roommate telling you that, while I’m certain I could find something more on it on my own, I don’t felt like debating this with you so I will just go along with what you said.”

“Yeahhh!!! Miku’s explanation totally worked on you.”

Rolling my eyes, I ignore from where came her explanation of snuggle and cuddle, “As I said, rather accepting than debating on it, so what are you waiting for, let’s snuggle or whatever.”

Minutes later, both of us are on the couch, warm blanket on our laps, in perfect ‘snuggling’ position she would say and with me holding the remote to start the movie, _‘It works out in the end.’_

“As expected of a movie recommended for Chris-chan, lots of guns involved, though I guess what Shishou wanted you to see is how people can curve their shots,” Hibiki comments, groaning a bit while stretching her arms above her head.

“I guess so… that would actually be pretty useful for the moment one of you is standing between me and the target or suddenly appear in front of me and blocking my sight.”

“Aww… come on Chris-chan that doesn’t even happen anymore now,” She whines at me.

“Only because I stopped voicing my complaint when it happens,” I retort. “Though, I looked forward to tried it, seem like everything come from the arm and the wrist,” I say while mimicking the movement from the movie.

“There’s nothing you can’t do when guns are concerned Chris-chan, I can even offer you my help.”

“You? Helping me? How? Do you plan on standing still while I try to curve my bullets as to avoid you, what about those whose don’t? You will take them head-on?” I answer her, disbelieved by what she could think to help me.

“Come on Chris-chan, I would have at least caught those that would hit me?” She replied as if it was the most logical answer… which probably really is for her.

“Doesn’t make it sound any less crazy and reckless, but I guess that would also be another form of training for you, catching something exceeding the speed of sound,” I ended up, seeing her point.

“You think so? We could also ask Ogawa-san of he can help you,” She inquires with a thoughtful expression.

“Senpai’s manager? Why?”

“He is a ninja Chris-chan! He taught Tsubasa-san that shadow-thingy technique that stops you from moving, I bet he knows how to curve a bullet, we should totally ask him,” She add excitedly.

“Fine, fine, we will try asking him next time we meet him,” I tell her while resting my head on the back of the couch and looking outside my bay window, _‘beginning to get late.’_ I thought before getting up. “Well, I will make dinner,” I said, noticing Hibiki looking up to me.

Looking outside for a moment before lowering her head, “Right, I should probably head back now,” she said so low that I almost didn’t hear her, _‘She doesn’t seem to want to leave, well, it just makes it easier for me to make her stay here with me.’_

“What are you saying, you’re not leaving this late with this cold outside, I already prepared the bath, so you can go in first while I cook, then we will eat together and after I take mine we will go to sleep,” I list her how the rest of the evening will unfold.

She looks at me completely at a loss of word to what I just said. Not leaving her much time to think I grab her arm, pulling her from the couch and pushing her toward the bathroom, “Stop zoning out and go take it already!”

Struggling a little, “But I don’t even have a change of clothes or a pajama” she tried to argue before being fully pushed inside.

“That’s why I made all of you bring and leave a set of clothes here with how often the lot you come, I will bring it to you, so stop arguing.” Hearing a soft ‘fine’ behind the door I head toward my bedroom satisfied, picking Hibiki’s nightwear, knocking on the first door, I opened it realizing Hibiki is already in the bathroom, signaling to her that I left her change of clothes in the basket and taking her school uniform to prevent any wrinkles on it, thanking me when I left.

Once Hibiki’s uniform and her bag are hanging beside mines, I head to the kitchen preparing the ingredients needed, “pancetta, pecorino cheese, parmesan, eggs, garlic cloves, butter, salt, black pepper and spaghetti for the pasta.” Once the ingredients gathered, I put my red apron with ‘All hail Enma-sama’ written on it and begin cooking.

It’s when I’m lowering the heat of the stove that’s Hibiki exit the bathroom, “Thank Chris-chan, I really needed it”, she tells me while drying her hair with a towel and approaching me, the scent of the body soap she used reaching my nose once beside me as she smells what I made, “It smells really good, what did you cook?”

“Carbonara Spaghetti, a recipe I wanted to try for a while now, can you bring me two plates and sets the table?” I ask her.

“On it, I can’t wait to eat Chris-chan’s cooking,” she answers excitedly, grabbing cutlery, glasses and drinks while I fill the plates with a generous portion for the both of us. _‘Right… It’s the first time someone will taste a dish I made.’_

Once seated and Hibiki filling my glass with Barley Tea, we began eating after saying “Itadakimasu”, _‘It turns out great for a first time’_ I thought after the first bite, I then look at Hibiki, eating with a blissful look on her face, literally moaning at each mouthful, it’s when she noticed me staring at her that’s she swallows while blushing before saying “It’s really delicious Chris-chan,” The compliment going straight to my heart, I thank her before we resume eating.

After a second serving, emptying what remains of the pasta and the dessert which was a tiramisu I bought earlier this week, Hibiki released a huge sigh as well as a “Gochisousama!” while rubbing her stomach and complimenting me once again for the meal I cooked, making me blush a little to her praise.

“I leave the cleaning to you while I take my bath.”

“Leave it to me Chris-chan, it’s the least I can do,” she answers, already gathering the dishes.

Standing up, I go into my bedroom to retrieve my pajama before heading toward the bathroom.

After washing myself I soak in the bath, ignoring the fact I’m bathing in the same water Hibiki just used into the back of my mind, I let my thoughts wandering a little on everything Hibiki and I did since I let her in; the fresh-baked Anpan with the promise to go to the café together, helping with her homework, the movie and finally the dinner, _‘Yep, I did a splendid job at cheering her up while enjoying every little bit of it myself.’_ I conclude before standing up.

Exiting the bathroom while I finish combing my hair, I saw Hibiki lying sideways on the couch seemingly asleep and hugging one of the couch pillows. Taking a look at the kitchen, I see the dishes washed and left to dry. Coming closer to her, I look at her sleeping face, _‘She is really beautiful and cute when asleep’_ I thought, smiling fondly. Relishing in the moment a little longer and of course, taking a photo of her with my phone to use it as my new wallpaper, I finally decide to wake her up, poking her cheek and calling out her name softly, “Wake up Hibiki, you can’t sleep here,” _‘and I will certainly not pass on this chance to sleep with you in the same bed.’_

Some more attempts later, Hibiki’s eyes fluttered open, after sitting on the couch, she looks groggily at me, “What’s the matter, Chris-chan?” She asks me while yawning.

“Time to come to bed, while I know my couch can be pretty comfortable with the number of times I passed out on it after a hard training day or just lazing around, the bed is better to sleep on.”

Not answering to me, I gently take her hand and lead her to my bedroom, Hibiki nodding off and dragging the pillow she held all the way. Once I tied my hair in a high ponytail, setting my phone on the nightstand and the both of us settled, Hibiki didn’t waste any time to wrap her arms around me, intertwines her legs with mines and nuzzling against the top of my head in her half induced sleep state and falling even deeper.

_‘Is that how she sleeps with her childhood friend each night?!’_ I thought a little alarmed at how tight she held me against her. Completely trapped, I try the best I can to get a comfortable position as well, _‘she is really warm,’ I thought once finding a good one._ Nuzzling into her neck, I end up holding her a bit tighter on my own, taking advantage of her body heat, “Good night, Hibiki,” I softly said before falling asleep in mere seconds.


	2. Calamity Crowe Café

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After waking up and going through their day at school, Chris and Hibiki finally reach a particular café.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It honestly took me far too long than I care to admit to finish this second chapter.
> 
> EDIT 26/07/2020:  
> Fixing grammar mistakes.

With everything happening in my life since the death of my parents and up until not even 2 years ago, waking up in the middle of the night with a startle caused by recurrent nightmares wasn’t uncommon to me, I’m lucky enough that those didn’t negatively affect my health, hell thank to them I’m now able to wake up on time without using any alarm no matter how tired I am and recently, waking up without any is slowly becoming the norm.

But this, slowly waking up with a comfortable, warm presence by my side and feeling I would say particularly content is fairly new to me. So deciding to enjoy the feeling a little longer is certainly not that strange, right?

It’s only after a moment, regardless of how long it was that I finally open my eyes, founding myself in the same position as remembered falling asleep in, but with Hibiki hold on me far weaker. Taking advantage of the opportunity, I slowly extricate myself from her embrace, sitting at the edge of the bed and her looking at her still asleep but gorgeous figure. Hearing her mumbling while trying to reach for my presence blindly, I place a pillow as a substitute, which she cuddles against it when she took it before frowning a bit, _‘maybe she can tell the difference between a pillow and an actual body even in her sleepy state,’_ I muse over it a bit with a fond smile on my face before getting up.

I stretch myself a bit before checking my phone for the time, _‘More than an hour left, enough to go by the bathroom, make breakfast, wake her up if she is still asleep and ready ourselves for school.’_

After a moment in the bathroom, I come out teeth brushed and uniform on, once in the kitchen I take the ingredients out of the fridge and begin cooking breakfast.

I look away from the stove when I hear the door of the bedroom opening over the sizzling sound of the pan, seeing Hibiki with wild bed hair walking while rubbing her eyes was so cute that couldn’t tear my eyes away, “Morning Chris-chan,” she mumbles when she notices me.

Hearing her greeting woke me from my daze and the smell coming from the pan make turning back on it and refocusing on its contents, “Yo, breakfast should be ready soon, don’t take too long in the bathroom,” I say to her, which she mumbles what seems to be “yeah” as she enters the bathroom.

Minutes later Hibiki and I are seated, scramble eggs, sausage and bacon in our plates with a glass of orange juice for breakfast.

The moment I dig in I stop myself upon hearing Hibiki, “Is that possible, Chris-chan is not good with traditional cooking?”

I settle the fork back in my plate before averting my eyes, “It’s not that I’m bad at it, I’m just more used to western cooking. But I can, just you wait, next time I will make sure to cook a traditional one, with a lot of rice in supplements.” I tease her with the last sentence while I take a forkful of scrambled eggs, both of us eating in silence.

With the dishes washed and left to dry alongside those of yesterday, a moment fighting and taming Hibiki’s bed hair and finally putting on our winter coat, we leave my apartment.

The way to school was spent in silence, not that I mind, it’s just a little strange when you’re walking together with Hibiki, her staying silent for that long make me turn my head to her, to realize that she was not walking beside me anymore but trailing a bit behind me seemingly lost in her thoughts, “What’s wrong with you?” I ask her, cringing internally at my tone, _‘I clearly could have asked more gently,’_ she didn’t pay it any mind, lifting her head, she shakes it while answering it was nothing.

I wanted to dig a little into it, but my attempt was averted by the sound of a familiar voice, “Ah, Hibiki-san, Chris-senpai, good morning-desu.” Our two kouhai were jogging toward us and rapidly engaging themselves on a new subject with Hibiki and me, which Hibiki glancing at me once before turning back to the conversation, leaving it at rest for now, I listen to them chatting, talking only when they expected a reaction from me.

“By the way Chris-senpai, Hibiki-san, it’s rare to see both of you coming to school together.” The black-haired kouhai remarks and I saw Hibiki stiffened a little at the remark as her steps stop, searching for what to say.

“This one fell asleep on my couch after coming over since it was also late I let her crash at my place.” I glance at Hibiki after giving them an explanation and she seems relieved to the white lie I’ve just told to them, _‘Yep, I will confront her about what’s going on with her, she is acting a bit strange at moment.’_

“S-so t-that’s mean you s-s-spend the evening alone together-desu!?” The blonde-haired stuttered, a hand in front of her mouth and pointing a shaking finger at us.

“Yeah. We did. Big deal,” I say waving a hand off and furrowing my eyebrows lightly, _‘So it would be okay for them to crash at my place but it would be strange that Hibiki did it? Ahhh, I really don’t understand them sometimes.’_ Turning around I grab Hibiki’s wrist and head toward school, “Better hurry before we end up late,” I say and leave before those could say anything.

It’s only when I brought Hibiki to her classroom that I realized what I’ve done and hurriedly scram away saying a ‘see you later,’ while ignoring people’s whispers. I end up making it to my class right before the bell ring, attracting the attention of my classmates, I quickly reach my seat, take out what I need for today’s lesson and wait for the teacher.

* * *

Drawing an arrow and taking a deep breath, I clear my mind before shooting, the arrow follows the trajectory I had given to it, ending its course into the center of the target with the usual sound, “chossei.” I mutter, my mouth forming a slight grin.

“Yukine-buchou. Nagisa and I are the last one leaving, have a nice weekend.” Looking toward the direction of the voice, the two kouhais are standing, waving their hands at me.

“Yeah, see you next week and be careful on your way home,” I said to them while twirling the arrow around my fingers, eyes refocusing on the target. ‘ _How I became the club president is still a wonder to me, I basically joined the club halfway through my second year and only focused on shooting the days I could attend. The other members pretty much left me alone until they suddenly began talking to me after the school festival’s events, I never ask and they never hint up why so… Well whatever, we took care of crazy alchemist exhibitionist leader of an international organization weeks ago and things are still calm, I should just act like one while I can, before the next enemy pop up,’_ I shake my head at how my thought end up.

Looking around to check that the girls are gone and no one else is here, I quickly put things in motion for my special time. After setting a table next to my shooting position, spreading out arrows on it as well as switching the usual traditional kyudo bow for my personal one; a red with yellow-orange strips recurve bow, I take a look at my target while testing my grip on my bow and shooting an arrow to familiarize myself once again with it.

I now take another look to the arrows spread out on the table, checking roughly the number with the kanji I have in mind before beginning.

Taking an arrow and drawing it a little, I take another breath before shooting, the very moment the arrow left the bow I’m already fetching another one and shooting it without pause and keep the cadence. After shooting consecutively around two dozen arrows, I finally take two of them, draws them together with the bow before shooting them, the arrows ending both their course where I wanted, forming the kanji “ **立** ”.

Releasing the tension in my muscles I put my hands on my hips while recovering, admiring my handiwork until I heard applause from behind me.

“You were so cool Chris-chan! They all hit the target.” Hibiki excitedly says to me.

Fighting the blush threatening my cheeks, I managed to ask “Since when are you here?”

Tilting her head on the side and putting a finger on her chin, she walks toward me, “Well, I would say in during the shooting. It took me a little longer because I meet Nagisa-chan and Honoka-chan.” She answers leaning toward me and smiling sweetly with her hands behind her back. Her eyes then land on the bow in my hand, “Hmm? It’s not the bow you guys usually use,” she said locking eyes with me once again.

Tearing myself of her gaze before I lost myself in them, I draw her attention on the bow I held, “Yeah, It’s a recurve bow, I got myself one to train with once the others members are not here. Perk of being the club’s president.” I grin at the last sentence. “You’re actually the only one who sees it.”

She hums a little while taking a closer look, “Chris-buchou has a really nice ring to it,” she smiles before asking if I was done with my club activities.

“Yeah, just need to put everything where they belong, change myself and I’m ready to go,” I say, waving at the place.

“What I can do to help you?” Hibiki asks, always in to lend a hand when and where she can.

Knowing she will certainly not stand still if she sees me doing it alone, I decide to take on her offer, “Well in this case, while I change myself I will ask you to put the table against this wall and to put away the arrows I used in the empty ground quiver in the storage.” I point the different emplacement for each item, “I will help you once I’m done changing.”

“Understood Chris-buchou!” she answers while performing a mock salute, ‘ _so she’s fine with calling me buchou but not senpai… well, whatever.’_ I thought while heading to the changing room.

To my slight surprise, once I’m done and exit with my bag I saw Hibiki waiting for me at the door, holding hers in front of her with both hands, taking a look around to check if anything was left forgotten and seeing there were none, I walk toward Hibiki, “You clearly didn’t take your time, are you so eager to go in that café?” I tease her, nudging her side with my elbow.

Fidgeting a bit, “It’s just…” she hesitates, searching her words before reluctantly saying, “that’s lately we don’t hang out much with just the two of us, there always Miku or Kirika-chan and Shirabe-chan with us, actually we spent more time together on missions than outside of them.”

 _‘True, the idols mostly hang out together since senpai graduates and I’m with either Hibiki and her friend/friends or the two kouhais if not all of them at once,’_ I let out a sigh at the thought, “we manage yesterday to be just the two us, so there’s no reason that we can’t do the same today either unless you invited someone else when I was not looking” I nudge her said once more while smiling.

She laughs adorably before saying, “Nope, no one, Chris-chan, just you and me, and whatever the café have on their menu.”

My heart flutter hearing her words, “then let’s quickly hand over the key to the teacher and we will be on our way” I smile, walking with a little spring in my steps, trying not to look too happy.

* * *

We are now outside, on our way to the café, Hibiki in front leading, walking backward and me following her.

“So, how was school?” I ask her, curious about how she handled the chaos I accidentally created.

“Well, after you left, some classmates quickly surrounded me and were asking about you, how I knew Chris-chan or our relationships until I was saved by the bell and the teacher entering the class. Then with the help of Yumi-chan and the other we managed to more or less diffuse the whole thing. Still, it’s amazing how Chris-chan is still famous despite being almost a year since the school festival.” She says, looking at me with amazement.

“Only around the thirds and second years, the first years don’t even know about it,”

“From what Kirika-chan and Shirabe-chan said, their classmates are pretty jealous of them to be able to spend so much time with you while they can only catch a glimpse and I think there are some that enrolled at Lydian because they heard you sing that day,”

“Seriously” I sigh heavily, “I can’t wait for me to graduate and leave this behind,” I said absently.

“Don’t be like that Chris-chan, you should enjoy it while you can. You took Tsubasa’s place as the most famous third year in the school,” she said excitedly while spinning around.

Watching her spinning consecutively, I warn her, “You will fall if you keep like that.”

Stopping spinning, she resumes walking backward, “No worries Chris-chan, I can still totally avoid other peop- Whoa!” She trips, interrupting herself mid-sentence.

Reacting before the thought even forms in my mind, I step forward, grabbing Hibiki’s by her left wrist and pulling her toward me before she could drag me in her fall, she ends up leaning against me, my breast pressing against her back and my other hand on her waist, steadying her. We froze at the unexpected intimate position we end up in, attracting glances from other passerby and I could swear that I saw a woman snickering and winking at me when our eyes meet.

We rapidly break apart with Hibiki bowing and apologizing to me with what I think is a blush on her face but at the same being oblivious to mine with her head down.

Recovering my composure, “Your apology will be you treating me to anything I want on the menu,” I tell her while resuming our walk, this time with Hibiki walking by my side normally.

“There is it Chris-chan!” Hibiki said pointing to the café.

Taking a look at the storefront I saw the name ‘Calamity Crowe Café’ written in black and blood-red letters, _‘Whoa… As much as red is pretty much my color and that I don’t have anything against black, the use of both makes the place look a bit… dark,’_ I comment internally upon seeing the color code.

“I didn’t pay much attention the first time but the scheme color reminds me of Chris-chan in Ignite module.” Hibiki voiced her thoughts.

Nodding to her words, we enter the place. “Welcome to the ‘Calamity Crow Café’ where the staff is everything but ordinary.”

Once inside we are welcomed by a woman or girl, she is just a bit taller than Hibiki with long platinum-blonde hair with a thick strand of hair across her face, green eyes full of mischief, wearing a sleeveless pink and purple dress shirt, black dress pant and a black waist apron with the word ‘Witch’ written on it in white letters.

“Oh my, you are the girl from yesterday,” she says once her eyes land on Hibiki.

“Eh!? You remember me?” Hibiki asks surprised.

“Of course! I could never forget a troubled girl who, just after tasting one of our products have her whole face brightened like the sun and then ordered half dozen before running like she suddenly remembers she had a date with her special someone,” the waitress recounts her first encounter with Hibiki, waving exaggeratedly and changing the tone of her voice, ending by patting Hibiki’s head, with the concerned girl being totally embarrassed and blushing during the whole thing.

The waitress resume, “I also knew that you will come again today with said someone” she finished eying me a little, then looking at me from head to toes, hand on her chin before smiling, nodding approvingly, and then calling for someone; “Velvet-dear! Come quickly, there something interesting for you,” winking at us once done.

Mere seconds later, a woman appeared from the door that leads to the kitchen; she was taller than the blond-haired woman, taller than senpai and maybe as tall as the pink-haired idol, she has black hair so long that they almost touch the ground, strands of her hair across her forehead, a small braid on the left side of her face reaching her collarbone and burning amber eyes, she wore the same outfit as her coworker but her shirt has short sleeves and the color is a red so deep that it could have been dyed with real blood, her apron has ‘Lord of Calamity’ on it and her left arm is entirely bandaged to her very fingers.

“What is it, Magilou?” the black-haired woman asks with a scowl on her face.

“Look, look, that’s the girl of yesterday, and like I said she came back with her girlfriend, meaninnng,” she drags the last syllable “I won the bet, now pay up!” The ‘witch’ finishes with a grin and bouncing a little.

Said ‘Lord of Calamity’ gave her coworker an irritated look before shifting it on Hibiki, who squeal a bit and immediately grab my arm, almost hiding behind me when it happens, _‘How can she face head-on immortal beings and other crazy things but be scared of a simple woman,’_ I thought before turning toward the woman, gulping once I meet her eyes and quickly averting them, _‘Nevermind, she’s scarier than any villains we fought and I’m sure her anger instills fear to anyone fool enough to try.’_

“My, my, Velvet, no need to take it out on them, you were the one who accepts the bet after all,” the witch said with a coy smile and patting her coworker back.

Huffing, the black-haired woman fetches her phone from her pocket while holding out the palm of her other hand toward the ‘witch.’

Understanding the gesture, the witch hand over her phone before addressing us a smile, “Thank a lot, girls, you just brightened my day, and for this, you get a special discount for couples”.

“We are not dating!”  
“I’m not her girlfriend!” Both Hibiki and I said at the same while blushing, finally catching up with everything the two women were talking about.

The two women as well as some customers were now looking at us, both with a quizzical look. The ‘witch’s’ look rapidly transforming into one of realization and then of dread while the ‘lord of Calamity’s’ face formed an amused smile while eying her coworker. Once their eyes meet the black-haired women lift an eyebrow, “Oh? They just said they were not dating Magilou”.

Whimpering and whining a little, the witch threw her hands in the air, “Fine! You win, happy!?”

“Very much,” the black-haired women respond with a flat tone while tapping on both phones before throwing one to her coworker, “Now, I will recall you that those two girls are customers and bet aside, you have a duty.”

Grumping a little while pocketing her phone, the ‘witch’ make us follow her, away from most customers to let the attention drawn on us die down.

Once seated to a table for two, winter coat and schoolbag hanging on our chair, the ‘witch’ withdraws a notebook and a pen from her pocket, “I will let you take a look first taking the time to look at the menu first” After looking a little inside and reading something curious, I turn my head toward the woman to ask a question, “Oh right, each staff members here have a signature dish in which the customer can order depending on the day and which staff member is present, most of them are meal, but we have dessert too, by the way, mine is the ‘Heavenly Fruit Parfait’.”

I close the menu right away having already make up my mind, I know my eyes probably lighten up at the last words she said and I honestly don’t care, “I will have the parfait, what about you?” I look at Hibiki.

Looking a little more, she smiles once she found what she wants, “I will take two plates of Mitarashi Dango”

“A Heavenly Fruit Parfait and two plates of Mitarashi Dango, coming right away,” the witch exclaims while walking away.

Looking around the place and taking in it decoration style, I meet the eyes of some customers who immediately averts them afterward, when Hibiki and I lock eyes after taking into our surroundings and the curious look of others customers, we both release a sigh, before we begin to giggle, then laughing at the whole situation.

“Sorry for all this Chris-chan,” she begins through fits of laughter.

“Don’t be, can’t believe she thought we were together when you already have a girlfriend,” I say, waving off and managing to subdues my laughter.

“Eh!? I don’t have a one, Chris-chan!” her laughter suddenly stops, her face wearing a look of confusion on it and I can feel some kind of hope blossoming inside me, hearing she doesn’t have one.

“Come on, you don’t need to hide it, not that you did it very well by the way but we all pretty much know, hell, even senpai notices it on her own,” I insist a little, not really knowing where I was trying to do by saying that.

“Wait, Chris-chan. Are you talking about Miku?”

I look at her completely flabbergasted, “Who else!?” I said a little louder than I attended and attracting a few more glances on us which I apologize.

“Here is your order, two plates of Mitarashi Dango for this one and a Heavenly Fruit Parfait for you, there are on the house for the trouble caused,” the arrival of our order interrupts the flow of our conversation, which I think was the objective from the “witch” seeing how well-timed it was. She then left as swiftly as she came with a simple ‘enjoy!’

Trying to gather my thoughts about what was said beforehand, I quickly take a spoonful from my parfait, shoving ice cream and a piece of banana in my mouth and releasing a moan when the taste hits my tongue. Taking spoonful after another, I stop when I notice Hibiki staring at me with a fond smile, her elbows on the table and cradling her chin in her right hand.

Spoon still held in mouth I ask her a bit defensively, “What with that look, shouldn’t’ you be eating too?”

Shaking her head, “sorry, you just looked so happy while eating that I couldn’t stop watching for a moment,” Hibiki responds before taking a skewer and eating a Dango, her whole face lights up, one hand on her cheek and the other still holding the skewer while she hums happily before taking another one, “They’re awesome Chris-chan!”

It’s my turn to look at her while she enjoys herself, taking another spoonful I decide to revive our previous conversation, “So, what’s that about the two of you not dating and what kind of relationship the two of you have then?”

“Miku and I are really nothing more than friend best friends, we know each other since we were children, so childhood friends too, but there was never anything romantic between us.”

“Then, how do you explain how close the two of you are, she’s basically taking care of you all the time? You would look helpless without her,” I said a bit puzzled.

“Hey! Aside from homework, I’m not helpless without Miku.” She denied vehemently before settling herself, sighing, “Well, things between us changed after the Zwei Wings Concert incident, with the bullying, dad leaving and all, she was the only friend who stays by side and rapidly became the person I was relying the most at that time. She was always trying to take care of me when she could; walking home with me, the increasing number of sleepovers, coming to my help when I would fall in the stairs even if was brushing the thing off” the last part was said with a humorless laugh.

I bit my lower lip at this, knowing that I’m partly responsible, but say nothing as she continues, “Things increases a little more since we are now living in the dorm and I became a Symphogear User, knowing I was out there fighting whatever current threat makes her a little more restless and… clingy? So, I just let her do it, cooking, waking me up, almost everything, it was her way to cope up with the situation, knowing she could do nothing when I was on a mission, she tried to make sure I was as much as ease possible. It was how much worrying about me in those time was eating at her.”

“To the point to accept getting manipulated to create a world where you wouldn’t have to fight,” I said in realization.

“Yeah, fortunately, she has given up on that idea, I don’t want to fight her again.”

I wave my spoon at her, “It makes the two of us, even if she didn’t land a single hit on me, fighting her is still the hardest and painful fight I ever had.”

A silent take place between us, Hibiki going through more Dango and a few spoonsful for me before I decide to ask her “Di-”

“Ne, Chris-chan, can we switch?”

I blink dumbly, “switch?” I ask confused.

Holding her second plate of Dango, “I want to switch the rest of my Dango with your parfait, can we?”

 _‘Well I was curious about the taste of these Dango myself after seeing how much she enjoyed them,’_ sighing, I push the rest of my parfait toward her as I take her plate of Dango, once each of us took a bite of each other dish and voiced our compliment, I finally ask her, “Did the two of you talk about it?”

“We did, and we both agreed that we may rely on each other too much, Miku even more than me.” She pauses, taking another spoonful of parfait, “While taking the Lydian Academy entrance exam meant for me to get away from the drama of my hometown and maybe meeting Tsubasa-chan in person. It was mostly to begin anew in a new environment, I’m really grateful than Miku came along with me, but now I realize that she may have chosen Lydian with me in mind rather than for herself.” She finishes, her head hanging down.

“And you fear in doing so, she closed herself to other possibilities and maybe what she wanted to do originally,” I elaborate.

She smiles a bit, “you know, Miku is really good at the piano, she was always praised by the teachers in middle school, took extra lessons and even won the first place in some competitions, but she began to go less and less after the incident, saying she had rescheduled them when she was walking home before just stopping altogether.” She pauses again, “I didn’t question it much in the past but now…” she sighs.

“She obviously stopped to stay by your side, and now you’re feeling guilty for not question it because you could have pushed her to keep playing,” she nodded slowly while finishing the remaining of the parfait. I quickly get the attention of a staff member, a very tall man, taller than Tsubasa’s manager and but less than the old man, but still build the same, short blonde hair, piercing blue eyes, black dress shirt and with ‘Reaper’ written on his apron. He quickly recommends us his signature dish; the ‘Berserker’s Palmier’ accompanied by the tea of the day, which we both take before he left.

“So… Where was I?” Hibiki mutters to herself.

“You were talking about how much the two of you rely on each other, her giving up the piano and you feeling guilty for not pushing her,” I summarize before asking.

“Yeah, so the thing is Miku still loves playing and she tells me that she resumes playing and practicing it more since entering Lydian and so we agreed that she should practice for the upcoming competition, she’s actually spending the weekend with her parents to speak to them about it.”

“That way she has to use her personal time for herself to get ready for it and that will serve the purpose of putting some distance between you two,” I said, finally clueing everything together.

“Yep,” she answers with a smile.

 _‘So, the two of them were not dating, they were just accustomed to being around each other. While it doesn’t seem to be a bad thing, it suddenly became it to Hibiki’s side, the constant worry of her friend make her realize that if something really bad were to happen to her, she will, without hesitation throw away her life to take care of Hibiki, which Hibiki wouldn’t want.’_ It’s during my musing that the ‘reaper’ come back with a tray holding two cups of tea and a plate of Palmier in it, leaving after telling us that the order was also on the house. _‘This place really knows how to take care of their customers. Smell like cinnamon, apple cinnamon tea?’_

“Then I hope things will go well the both of you,” Hibiki nodded her head while she nibbles on a Palmier, I take a sip of the tea after blowing a little on it to cool it down, “Yep, apple cinnamon tea,” I mumble in confirmation to the sweet taste as I feel my body warming up. I turn my gaze to see Hibiki dipping her Palmier in the tea before taking another bite.

Using the comfortable silence, I rethink about what she said, and with it, end up with three facts; one; Hibiki is not dating anyone. Two; with her childhood friend visiting her parents and staying the weekend, Hibiki will be alone. And three; there is no fucking way I let this golden opportunity pass on. _‘With everything cleared up, I know she’s available but… Damn everything became simpler and complicated at the same time, it’s not like I can just confess my feelings to her, especially if things with her childhood friend are changing, I will just add more drama to them with this timing… I should wait, no, I have to wait, at least for them to be more at ease with their situation and new dynamic before anything, I will just act like usual, maybe testing the water and trying to leave some hint.’_

Finally coming to terms with myself and how to act around her, I take another Palmier and dip it, taking the first step “You should spend the weekend with me.” _‘Smooth much, I couldn’t have been more direct.’ I berate myself._

“Eh!?” _‘Of course, she will react like that, I’m shocked enough at how assertive I am myself.’_

I rapidly try to provide an excuse, “I mean you will obviously be on your own, which frankly worried me a bit, I don’t know about your cooking skills and I’m sure your friend will be more than grateful to come home with the place still intact. Even if I sure you will be fine with just eating anything outside,” the last was muttered while my eyes stare at the table.

I see Hibiki cocking her head to the side while munching and the last Palmier, closing her eyes and thinking about it, “I’m really happy that you are worried about me Chris-chan, but are you really okay with me spending the weekend with you.”

“We spent a whole evening together just yesterday and it was pretty fun, plus you were the one that said we don’t spend much time together, we will just extend it to the whole weekend, so what do you think?” I quickly said, easing her worry, _‘come on! Just say yes.’_

“Yeah, yesterday was really fun, even the homework part,” she says at first before adding, “I would love to if it’s fine with you Chris-chan.”

“I would not have proposed it in the first place if I was not fine with it.” I reply, _‘YES! You just don’t know how fine I am with it.’_ I thought happily while finishing the remaining of my tea and Hibiki doing the same.

“We should definitely try lunch here next time, I’m curious about what other kinds of signature dish they have,” Hibiki says once we exit the C3.

“How about tomorrow? We could have a late lunch there and try whatever signature dish they have available.”

“Sure thing. I will go make a fast trip to the dorm to take what I need.”

“I need to do some grocery shopping first; I will see you at my apart, and use the key this time.” _‘Never thought I will tell her that one day.’_

“Later Chris-chan.” Taking my schoolbag with her, she takes off, running, _‘she really seems eager to spend the evening with me. Like I could talk, I’m probably more than her.’_

_It’s on my way to the grocery store that I text her to bring her textbooks because she will not escape doing her homework; her answer was several emoji to show she was not happy about it. Smiling at it, I pocket my phone and keep walking, making a mental list of what we will need._

* * *

_‘Why did they move it higher,’_ I angrily thought, trying to reach for the shelf of Anpan and failing at it, despite wearing heels, “the previous location was just fine so why did they. fucking. move it!” I spat angrily at each jump I take. Losing my balance at my last jump, I begin to fall backwards before being steadied by a pair of hands holding my shoulders, turning my head to see who is the person behind me, I suddenly lock eyes with a smiling Hibiki.

“You okay Chris-chan?” she asks me before eyeing what I was trying to get, “Ahhh… They move them higher,” she adds before leaving my side and jumping a bit to get some, then dumping them in the basket.

“How come you are here? Didn’t we agreed to meet up at my apart?”

“I already made the trip back and I also wanted to buy some things for us” she explains, pointing at her own basket filled with groceries.

“Looking at what she got, _‘snacks, candy, beef, mushrooms, onions… is she planning on cooking something?’_ turning back to her I ask her what she is planning with those ingredients.

Shaking a finger at me, she says, “Surprise, surprise, Chris-chan, you will have to guess,” grinning widely at the end, provoking a blank stare from me before I let sigh before smiling.

“Well, thank for the Anpan and I have everything we will need now, so let’s go” I walk toward the cashiers with Hibiki in tow.

Once the groceries paid in which Hibiki wholly insists that she paid mine as well because she couldn’t treat me at the café we finally end up in my apartment.

Heading to the kitchen to put the groceries on the counter, I saw that our school bag, as well as another one, are on the couch. ‘ _She really brought it, she surely rather what I would say or do to her if she didn’t,’_ I while putting the grocery bags on the kitchen counter.

Saying she wanted to change out of her uniform for something more comfortable, Hibiki takes her second bag with her, heading to my bedroom. She emerges when I was going to put the eggs in the fridges, which almost fell from my hands when my eyes land on her, Hibiki was wearing a navy blue short shorts and a yellow tank top exposing her toned arms and legs, her hips swaying slightly with each step she took toward me; my eyes shifting briefly to notice she was walking bare feet before coming back and her legs and hips.

It’s when she stops in front of me and hear her calling my name while waving her hand in front of my face that I realize I was ogling her openly, I quickly tear my gaze from her body to lock eyes with her, “Sorry, what were you saying?” my face must be completely red at this point, I mean she obviously caught me starring intensely at her physic.

But she didn’t mention it, instead, she just looks at me in confusion, “Your face is red Chris-chan, are you okay?” before I had the time the provide and answer that she cradles my face in her hands and leans her forehead against mine, the sudden contact and very close proximity fry my brain and leave me in a daze, I see her lips move but can’t register a single word or sound, taking my winter coat off and following her as she guides me to couch where I sat for who knows how long.

I come out of my daze by the feeling of something warm against my cheek, leaning away while focusing on my surrounding, my eyes land on Hibiki with two mugs and handing one to me, “Here Chris-chan, it will warm you up,” deciding to ignore how I end up on the couch while I vaguely remember standing beside the fridge with I think was eggs in my hand I take the mug offered by Hibiki.

She joins me on the couch, legs in the lotus position and holding her mug with both hands, smiling widely at me and urging me to taste the beverage. Following her lead, I take a sip, licking the excess on my upper lip. “It tastes… nutty?” I say, looking at the content, which no matter how I look at it is a hot chocolate, _‘then where does the nutty taste come from.’_

Hibiki gives me the answers before I have much chance to think about it, “Almond milk, that’s where the nutty taste comes from,” she grins widely before taking another sip.

Taking another sip as well I furrow my eyebrow, “wait I don’t have any almond milk and saw the content of your basket. There were none as well, so where did it come from?”

“I just brought the bottle I had from the dorm, I take it out from my bag after I changed, didn’t you see it?” she asks, cocking her head to the side.

I avert my eyes, _‘I can’t tell her! There is no way I can tell her that I was too busy looking at her body that I didn’t see her holding anything in her hands,’_ shaking my head, “I must have zoned out and not paid attention.” Humming at my lame excuse, she shrugs and resumes drinking which I gladly follow. The silence in which we finish our drink was quite comfortable.

Once done, Hibiki stands up and takes my mug to put in the sink, she then proceeds, surprisingly, to take out her textbooks from her schoolbag and set everything on the table. I didn’t even voice my astonishment that she beat me to whatever I could say, “From what we did yesterday as well as you saying that I’m not escaping them, I decided that I better going at it as soon as I can.”

“And you’re fine with it?” I ask with bewilderment.

She pouts, she actually, really pouts before averting her eyes, saying that it’s not like I’m giving her much of a choice, _‘if she knew that all she has to do get whatever she wants from me is looking straight at me while pouting, I would be done for, well, I don’t attend for her know my weakness anytime soon if not ever, so I’m safe’_. I thought, standing up as well and seating beside her while taking my textbook out as well, “Then like we did yesterday; do what you can and I will help you with whatever once I’m done with mine” I smile to her which she returns it.

“Finally over!” I watch Hibiki now laying on her back, arms spread before she turns her head toward me, “thanks for the help Chris-chan,” she says closing her eyes.

I look at her for a moment before standing up, “Let’s make dinner.”

Once I utter the sentence, Hibiki’s eyes shot opens before quickly standing up and pushing me until I’m seated on the couch, looking up at her in confusion, she cut me before I say anything, “Nope, Chris-chan, I’m cooking dinner this time, you either stay put and wait or you go take a bath and put on something comfier than the school uniform.”

Stunned by how Hibiki is taking control and watching her heading toward the kitchen, I rest put with a racing mind, ‘ _What the hell is happening?’ I can’t explain her current behavior,’_ I bite my lower lip, _‘While I certainly appreciate the attention, I’m the one supposed to take care of her, not the other way around.’_ Sighing, I threw a glance at Hibiki already at work, cutting ingredients before standing up and heading to my bedroom, stopping once I realized something, “Ne, Hib-” I quickly close my mouth, almost biting my tongue in the process.

“Did you say something Chris-chan?” I breathe in relief, thankful that she didn’t hear my slip up.

“You said that I could either wait or take a bath, but-” She interrupts me, again, ‘ _She’s doing it a lot recently.’_

“Oh, the bath is ready,” I look at her dumbly, “I made it when I first brought our bags here.”

Registering her words, I quickly go in the bathroom, slide the door open, and like she just said the bathtub was filled with still hot water. It was at this moment I decided to give up, Hibiki was currently taking care of me, _‘she put away the groceries, made me a hot chocolate in which I could still feel the aftertaste lingering while helping her with her homework, now she is cooking dinner and sent me to take a bath, which she already made beforehand.’_ Shaking my head once again at the situation, I head to my bedroom to retrieve my nightwear and finally take my bath.

Once I exit the bathroom, I see Hibiki serving two plates on the table, as if sensing my presence, she quickly tells me to sit the time she brought the drink, since I just exited the bath I was going to tell her that I was in a mood for a Ramune, but she was already coming back and to my surprise, again, she was holding exactly what I wanted, to the point I was wondering if she suddenly became an ESPER.

Looking to her once she seats as well, she crosses her arms below her chest, looking at me with a smug face before grinning and leans forward a little, “So?” she asks me, to which I can only answer by showing my confusion to her question.

Leaning back against her chair and spreading her arms, presenting the meal she has cook, she resumes, “I want to know what you think. Not that helpless without Miku, eh?”

Thinking to what she meant, realization finally come to me, _‘She fucking did everything to prove me that she could take care of herself even if her roommate wasn’t here,’_ putting my face in my hands, I groan a little, before laughing softly at the situation, Hibiki looking with a grin on her face. Once I finally subdue my laugh, “Fine, I’m sorry,” I begin, “You’re definitely not helpless without her,” I then look at the plate content; a Beef Stroganoff over pasta to my surprise, again, _‘better get used to it, I doubt that will be the last I will get from her.’_

Hibiki looks anxiously at me, waiting for something when her gaze falls over my plate before coming back on me, I understood why, but before taking a forkful I ask her, “So, why Beef Stroganoff?”

“Because it beat me,” she answers flatly, earning a blank stare from me while I take the fork, chewing carefully the piece of beef in my mouth.

Once I swallow, I lean my back against the chair, closing my eyes. I open them to Hibiki’s expectant gaze. I smile before taking another forkful, “Then, I happy to tell you, that Beef Stroganoff is a delicious” I say while carrying the fork to my mouth. I hear her sighing in relief before the sound of cutlery adds to mine.

Hibiki exit the bathroom, clad in her usual pajama composed of an orange short and her shirt with an oversized yellow chick on it while using a towel to dry her hair. Setting the controller of the game on the table I sign her to come closer before make her sit on the ground, her back facing me against the couch, I then take the towel from her hands and proceed finishing drying her hair. Telling her to stay put, I made a quick trip to the bathroom, coming back with a brush, a little unknotting and brushing later I use the occasion to pass my hands through Hibiki’s hair, purring cutely at the beginning, I froze when she let a moan, then quickly tap Hibiki’s head, “Here’s, done,” I say before standing up, taking the brush and heading to the bathroom to put them away.

When I come back, the atmosphere is a bit awkward, the two of us avert each other eyes still blushing at what happened mere seconds ago. The awkwardness dragging for a moment longer until, “Chris-chan, catch,” Her voice pierces the silent, making looks in her direction to see what she threw at me and my eyes catching a red blur zooming at me, rapidly extending my arm, my hand grabs the thrown controller before I lock eyes with Hibiki.

“Ready to lose, Chris chan?” she asks smugly while waving the other controller.

“Bring it, I will make you remember who is the best.”

The two of us end up on the couch, seated closer than ever, eyes on the screen, staring intensely as our battle unfolds. I threw a few glances at Hibiki between two battles, until she caught me, locking eyes with me for a moment before smiling and then returning to the game trying her best to defeat me.

After some more rounds, we are in my bedroom, ready to turn in.

“Are you really okay with sleeping together, Chris-chan?” Hibiki ask me again.

I sigh, “I’m beginning to think that you’re the one who doesn’t want us sleeping in the same bed.”

Shaking her head and hands vehemently, she quickly says, “I’m really fine with it, I swear, it’s just…” she didn’t finish her last sentence and end up laying on her side of the bed.

Finishing putting my hair in a ponytail and plug in my phone to charge, I lay on my side of the bed, my back facing Hibiki.

After spending several minutes in silence still awake, I was going to check if Hibiki was already asleep when I hear her calls my name softly enough to not wake me up in case I was asleep.

“What is it?” I ask her with my back still facing her.

“Can I hug you?”

Without pronouncing a word, I simply got near her, she then gets closer to me herself before tentatively putting her arms around me, pressing a little more until I could feel her chest against my back as well as her body heat. Intertwining her legs with mine, I relish the extra heat they provide to mine as I feel my body relaxing and on the verge of falling asleep.

“Hehehe, Chris-chan’s legs are cold.”

“Well, sorry for not being the warmest person to sleep with.”

“I actually like it a lot, it’s soothing in its own way,” she says while nuzzling into my hair.

“Stop that,” I mutter since the little movements keep me awake.

“Sorry, your hairs are just so soft and smell good” she whispers her compliment, before settling to put her nose in my hairs, “good night, Chris.”

I open my eyes, hearing her say my name without honorific causing a fluttering feeling in me. Too tired to deal with it, I close my eyes once again, “Good night, Hibiki” her body heat relaxing me further as I fall asleep.


	3. I'm home

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After a rude wake-up for an unexpected mission, Chris and Hibiki can finally take the rest of the day for themselve.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A chapter even longer than the previous one.
> 
> Not like I'm complaining, I'm proud of it.

The defining sound coming from my phone is what wake me up this morning and no matter how Hibiki’s contact is comfortable and relaxing, it will certainly not stop my phone from ringing, or rather whoever the caller who is trying to reach me, because it’s already the second time.

 _‘Better not be one of those two,’_ having enough of it and even more when it begins to stir Hibiki awake, I reach for it not caring to see whoever the caller is, “What?” I growl-whisper to the caller.

“Ah, Chris-kun,” it’s the old man, “Sorry for waking you up so early but we are following a lead concerning the Bavarian Illuminati remnants and our teams will probably need you as backup, especially if they encounter Alca-Noise.”

“What about the other two? Now that the pipsqueak finally succeeds in creating the LiNKER, they should be able to take on any mission on their own, right?” I grumble, trying to turn my head to check on Hibiki.

“Kirika-kun and Shirabe-kun are probably sore from yesterday hard training I give them.”

 _‘Those idiots, who in their right mind would train a Friday, the beginning of the weekend,’_ I mentally curse them before sighing, which the old man heard it but say nothing, “Fine,” I reluctantly say, passing a hand across my face to try to wake me up.

“Thank you, Chris-kun, a car will be on its way to get you. I will call Hibiki-kun as well.”

“Don’t bother, she is in bed with me, I will tell her,” I said, stretching my arms carefully enough as to not wake Hibiki, “Just make sure the driver sent a text to tell us he is here.”

“Eh? Wait, Chris-kun Wha-” I hang up and let the phone drop on the bed, but hearing it falling on the ground, _‘I guess that it must have bounced off of it.’_ Turning my body to lay on my back, I look at my still asleep bedmate, _‘Can’t believe the ringing of my phone and me talking this close from her didn’t wake her up.’_ I sigh _‘As much I would love to just lay against her and sleep more, I have to wake her up for us to get ready.’_

It’s when I tried to get away from her that her embraces on me become tighter, keeping me on the bed and mumbling that she will not let me get away from her and to resign myself to more cuddle.

“You’re awake.” I say flatly, it was not a question, just a mere observation, “Since when? You know what? Don’t care, just release me, the old man needs us and someone will come to pick us soon, so hurry up and get ready as well,” whining a bit, she reluctantly let go of me, sprawling herself on the bed. Throwing a last look at her relaxed form, she smiles at me when she caught my eyes, returning it I head to the bathroom with my change of clothes.

The driver was here seconds later after we were ready, on our way to HQ, we manage to pass by C3 and get half a dozen of Anpan as our breakfast, with Hibiki kindly proposing one to the driver which he refuses saying that he has already eaten.

Once we reach HQ, Hibiki and I quickly change ourselves into the S.O.N.G. winter uniform, the uniform which is composed of a navy blue long-sleeved jacket with sky blue on half the length of the sleeves, a red undershirt for me while Hibiki has a yellow-orange one, the bottom is composed of a shorts in the same navy blue with a brown belt, thick dark grey high stocking with black and still the same navy blue high boots. The whole set completed by black gloves, a small scarf two shades of our theme color and the jacket harboring the S.O.N.G emblem on the shoulders and the word on its back. Once done, we come to the bridge where the old man was waiting for us.

“We’re here Shishou!” Hibiki says with her usual enthusiast.

The old man looks at us a bit strangely and I could notice the same about the other staff members except the only woman who just smiles at me as if knowing something that I don’t, provoking me to raise an eyebrow.

My attention turns back to the old man faking a cough while straightening himself, “Good, we got a lead concerning a remote facility used by the Bavarian Illuminati and we expect to find members in hiding as well as more information on them. The two of you will be part of the backup team in case they need assistance or of an apparition of Alca-Noise.”

“So if things go in our favor, our help will not be needed and both of us would have wasted our day, right?” I said with a smile.

The old man scoffs at that, “Like you said Chris-kun, only if everything goes in our favor. But since when are we spared from extra-trouble?”

“Far too little,” I said with Hibiki nodding in agreement eagerly.

“And that’s why your presence is required, I will rather not lose any men because of a sudden apparition of Alca-Noise and having to call you to go at the place urgently.”

“Don’t worry Shishou, Chris-chan and I will do what we have to do,” Hibiki says before turning to me, “Let’s go Chris-chan” before heading out of the room.

We both watch Hibiki leave, “Sooo… You and Hibiki-kun?” the old man says, causing me to look at him a bit confused to see a slight uneasiness on his face.

“Well, her roommate spends the weekend with her parent, so she is spending hers at my place,’ I answer, thinking it was what it means by his question.

It seems my answer was not what his expected, but he quickly shook his head, “I see, well better get going before the team leave with just Hibiki-kun as anti-Alca-Noise force”

“Right, can’t let that happen,” I smile while heading out as well.

* * *

As expected, things didn’t go as planned or wished for, well we did expect extra trouble during the mission but not to this extent, when the old man said facility, we were surely not expecting that the place will be among several other buildings.

The team supposed to find and investigate the right building must have been noticed because a swarm of Alca-Noise was suddenly summoned, flooding the streets and causing Hibiki and me to intervene right away.

We begin to clear ourselves a path toward the position of the main team surely trying to run away from the Alca-Noise. The plan is rather simple; Hibiki charge straight ahead without a care for anything while I cleaned up what she ignores as well as the sides by using my triple ranged crossbows; [QUEEN’S INFERNO]. And it’s not because I got a full view of Hibiki’s ass that I agreed with this plan rather than another.

We rapidly reach the main team, or rather what was left of it since some guys are missing. We swiftly dispose of the group of Alca-Noise that we following them dispose of and after checking the situation with them, we learn that the missing guys that I thought dead were able to infiltrate the faculty and are continuing the mission, we decide that Hibiki will join the team currently inside to assist in searching and apprehending the Illuminati member and fends off the Alca-Noise in case of another encounter with them while I escort the others members to the backup team before coming back and dealing with the rest of them.

Once I and the main team joined with the backup team I quickly rush back in Hibiki’s direction, dealing with any Alca-Noise on my way that could threaten them.

After clearing another place and not seeing any more coming I contact Hibiki to check on her, “Oi! What’s the situation on your side?”

“Ah, Chris-chan! Everything fine, the Illuminati’s member is running away, I’m just behind him.”

“Be careful, who knows if he had something up its sleeve.”

“Got him! I will head back to-”

“Take this!” an unknown voice yells, followed by Hibiki’s scream of surprise before the line went dead.

“Oi! Are you alright?!” I ask first, “What happen? Answer me damn it!” I follow urgently, “HIBIKI?!” I end up screaming her name desperately, still without success.

Switching the communication from Hibiki’s comms to HQ directly, “Oi old man! What’s happening?”

“Our guess is as good as yours, Chris-kun; our monitors are still picking up Hibiki-kun Gungnir signal, and her vital shown that’s she’s perfectly fine.

“Then, where she is now,” I said regaining a bit of calm.

Following the directions given by HQ, I reach the destination in record time, blasting my way through the wall, I discover Hibiki standing in the middle of the room motionless.

I grab her shoulder and turn her to face me, “Oi! You can answer if yo-” I stopped myself when my eyes lock with hers, there were hollow, empty, she was looking at me but without seeing me.

Stunned a bit I avert my gaze from her to contact HQ, but I was suddenly sent flying through the room, catching a glimpse of Hibiki’s in what seem to be a stance before I come crashing through the wall.

“-is-kun! Chris-kun!” The panicked screams of the old man and the others were what I heard first once the ringing in my ear settled.

With my eyes still closed, because I’m sure a blurred vision would not help, I reach for my comms, “stop screaming, it’s not helping,” I say while standing up when I felt a shot of pain in my side around my ribs, crouching a little at the pain, I check my surrounding, ‘Seems like I was sent flying through another building’ I thought until Hibiki’s came back in mind, panic included. I reach once again for my comms, “Oi! What about Hibiki!?”

After a brief silence, I receive an answer, “She is heading toward your Chris-kun, but what happen?”

“Beat me,” I reflexively respond, asking about the camera that should have already been hacked by now, which were not, meaning that they can’t follow the events on direct. Making my way out of the building I was sent into I explained what happened, “She was standing in the middle of a room when I found her, coming closer to her, she has this empty look in her eyes and the moment I try to contact you guys that I was sent flying where I am.”

Once I exit the building by the hole I assumed I made my entry, I found Hibiki walking toward me, making a stop when I was in her sight before entering her fighting stance.

“Chris-kun, we call Kirika-kun and Shirabe-kun to come to your help, how long can you handle Hibiki-kun until they are here?”

I smirk at the question, keeping an eye on Hibiki “I can handle her just fine on my own, she just caught me by surprise, no need to bother them.”

“Well, let’s not take any unnecessary risk, they will be soon on their way,” he replied, earning a huff from me.

“Then, make them bring some anti-LiNKER with them, will make things even easier but don’t blame me if everything is already under control when they come,” I said earning a scoff from him before I cut down the connection as to not be bothered by them while fighting. _‘I’m saying this, but with Hibiki always holding back partially when training involves fighting one another…I may be in for some surprise,’_ I thought before shaking my head, chasing the thought away.

With everything said I lay my eyes on Hibiki once more, still in her fighting stance as if waiting for me, “Oh! You’re were waiting for me? Despite hitting me without warning the first time, you’re now really waiting for me?” I begin, which generates no reaction from her, “Fine, as your senpai, I will take care of you, prepare yourself!” I announce pointing my forefinger at her, this remark though causes a slight twitch of her eyes followed by an attempt to talk before closing her mouth without uttering anything, _‘Well, good, what I’m saying is somehow reaching her so she’s not completely closed off to extern stimuli and with luck, a simple big enough shock should wake her up.’_

I transform the gears of my forearms into the usual crossbows and shot a volley to engage her, the arrows were dealt with by Hibiki swinging one arm across, the arrows dispersing when meeting her gauntlet. She then charges at me while deflecting with her arms the consecutive volleys I keep shooting. Once close to me she launches a punch aimed at my face that I narrowly avoided by tilting my head to the side before putting some distance between us by jumping backward and keeping her at bay by shooting a few more.

The crossbow being useless against her I transform each into a double tri-barrel gatling; [BILLION MAIDEN], aiming one at her, I begin shooting again but for Hibiki to dodge the first bullets by jumping on the side before running while I keep shooting. Adding the second gatling to restraint her course, she proceeds to run toward a building, before running sideways on it, _‘what the… She can do that!?’_ My surprise was cut short when she just jumps from the building wall and uses the booster at her waist to speed up her descent at me, one leg high to perform a hammer kick. I didn’t need to see more, the best option for me was the get the hell out from anywhere near her landing point, which at the time would be my position if not my head.

Turning my back, I switch back to my crossbows while I run away, jumping only when I heard the sound of Hibiki crashing against the ground to avoid the lifting effect caused by the impact. Reaching the rooftop of the nearest building I look at the damages caused and I was more than right to have run away; the damage surrounding Hibiki spread around a good thirty meters’ radius.

Luckily for me, Hibiki seems to have lost sight of me with this attack, giving me time to form a plan… which I realize I don’t need one in the first place, _‘I just need to see this fight as a training except, this time Hibiki is fighting more seriously,’_ I thought before grinning at the challenge.

Sneaking a peek at Hibiki one more time, I see her wandering about while keeping an eye for me. I take a deep breath before taking action and changing location.

After sneakily jumping from one building to another, I finally reach the one I wanted, then using the aiming assistance Ichaival provide me I found Hibiki at more than two hundred meters from my new position still looking for me. Putting things in motion, I combine my two crossbows to form a sniper-rifle; [RED HOT BLAZE], _‘I will finally use it correctly aside from training’_ I thought a bit giddily at the opportunity.

Laying myself on the rooftop, I use the scope to aim carefully at Hibiki, which she has her back facing me, walking backward while still on the lookout for me.

Taking a deep breath, I shoot, knowing that the noise will attract her attention as well as revealing my position but it will be too late for her to react in time to it.

Or so I thought. The moment Hibiki heard the noise that she was already in a defensive stance in my general direction, then with a swift movement of her arm, she uses her gauntlet to deflect the bullet toward another building behind her.

Jaw dropped, I could only stay like that, eyes wide open while watching my attack explodes and obliterating the building she was sent into, _‘what the hell did I just saw!? Did she just deflect a bullet that was coming from behind her?! While I know what Hibiki is capable of, this time of reaction was just too high, and the fact that she just chooses the best course of action in deflecting it instead of dodging or blocking it is even more frustrating.’_

Still stunned by Hibiki’s prowess, I failed to notice sooner that she was already closing the gap between us and had cover half the distance. Panicking a bit at her speed, I quickly stand up, separating the sniper-rifle into the usual crossbow, before expanding the compartment at my waist to launch a volley of missiles with [MEGA DETH PARTY] at Hibiki to slow her down.

But it was ineffective, without slowing, Hibiki runs into them before jumping, twisting her body the right way as to avoid every single missile before landing on a street lamp, then jumping from one to another without losing her momentum until a last jump toward me, and using her booster to reach me, fist at the ready.

I quickly throw myself to the side as to avoid her fist connecting with me, recovering from my action I try to stand up and aim at her but was met with Hibiki right in front of me while I was still slightly crouched.

Pain runs through my abdomen as Hibiki delivers me the most painful palm strike have ever received in my life, knocking the wind out of me while my body is sent flying from the building, crashing in the middle of the deserted street, bouncing and rolling before sliding to a halt.

Struggling to stand up, I can only be grateful that Hibiki has still some limited control over her body to strike me with her palm instead of her fist, _‘Still incredible painful though, I really need to snap her out of it before my body decide that staying down is a very nice option and be the one needing saving which is a state that refuses to show to my kouhais again.’_

Searching for Hibiki once up, I see her at a fair distance from me. Accepting the fact that the current Hibiki in front of me has perhaps an even better battle sense that the original, I decide to bet everything on the next couple of actions.

Closing my eyes and taking a deep breath, I prepare myself mentally and physically for what is about to come. Feeling ready, I open my eyes and begin singing.

**_Insert Song – Take This! “All Loaded”_ **

Using [BILLION MAIDEN], I begin to shoot in Hibiki’s direction who has begun to run toward me, I was expecting for her to take cover wherever she could once I begin shooting, but she keeps going, guarding herself against the rain of bullet by simply crossing her arms in front of her, most of them being deflected upon contact with her gauntlet.

Noting the failure of my first attack, I switch off the gatling for their default form as gauntlet on my forearms before using [MEGA DETH PARTY], the volley of missiles didn’t do anything either; Hibiki dodges some by ducking and twisting her body in a certain angle, deflects some other by using the back of her hand or simply, to my mid shock catching them before throwing them to the side, the blank look on her face while doing the whole thing as if she did it daily upset me as much as I found her performance cool.

Putting my infatuation for her under control and focusing on the upset feeling, I decide to resort to the big gun; [MEGA DETH FUGA], how she deals with it was clearly not what I was expecting. Hibiki jumps on one of the rockets I launched and keeps running its length before jumping off it toward me.

Completely mesmerized by just what I saw, I was almost too late in blocking Hibiki’s kick aimed for my head, the strength of it still high enough to send me flying across the street, but I was quick to recover this time.

Actually, this kick was welcomed, while I certainly dislike how my arm was throbbing because of it, the distance created between the both of us was a godsend, and seeing how my usual pattern of attack is mostly useless against her, this distance is perfect to try something new, and if I’m lucky everything will end with the next move.

Arming myself with revolver type pistol, I aim carefully at the running Hibiki, taking a shot at her head to see her reaction, she acts as I expected her to; by tilting her head to the side, _‘what training does she need if she can totally dodge bullet coming at her from less than hundred meters.’_ I thought a bit angrily.

I resumed shooting at her, mostly to distract Hibiki of my true intention while she keeps running at me without slowing down one bit.

Once with one bullet remaining in each pistol and Hibiki being at less than ten meters, I shoot one of my last bullet at her head, which she dodges it by ducking her head and body, I then, while throwing my empty pistol to the side shoot my last bullet right where Hibiki’s foot was supposed to land, making her lost her footing and stumbling toward me.

The little distance between us makes her impossible to recover in time, so curling my fingers to form a fist, I throw it while yelling, “Wake up, you dummy!” my yell ending as my fist collide with Hibiki’s side of her face and sent her backward, stepping back several steps.

While a bit disheartened by the fact that my punch didn’t send her flying while she was able to do so with a simple palm strike, I quickly follow her before she has time to recover. Grabbing her by the wrist, I pull her toward me to keep her off balance before sweeping her off of her feet and make her land flat on her stomach, ignoring the yelp of surprise coming from her, I then took both of her arms, putting them behind her back with both hands around the lumbar area before I sat on them after discarding the gear from my waist, successfully straddling and immobilizing Hibiki.

Releasing a huge sigh, I finally let the tension leave my body, resting my hand softly on Hibiki’s back as to not fall forward on her. After a moment spent in silence, she is the one to break it first.

“Uhhh… Chris-chan?” Hibiki tentatively calls my name.

“Senpai,” I simply replied.

“Eh?” She asks, turning her head the best she can to lock eyes with me.

“Call me Chris-senpai, I will not listen to anything you say until you do,” Yeah, I know I’m forcing things up but I honestly don’t care, I will take my reward for fighting her where I can.

“Chris… -senpai?” She finally says after another moment,

 _‘Good enough,’_ I thought while smiling and quelling down the strange feeling that invades my body, “Yeah?” I respond to her.

“Uhhh… What’s happening and how did I get here?” her voice is a little unsure.

“Do you plan to hit me again?” _‘Shit, I didn’t want her to know that she was fighting against her will’_ I admonish myself for my slip up.

Thankfully my question only earns me a frown from her, “What are you saying Chris-chan, I would never do that.” Despite everything that happens not even five minutes ago, I believe her, at least I believe that she will never do anything to purposely hurt me, or anyone she cares.

But just in case, “Then, can you take off Gungnir?”

“I can, but why?”

“Just do it, please,” I ask in the same soft voice that I found myself use more and more since Thursday when talking to her.

Seem like it was effective because, without saying anything, a brief flash of light appears in which I have to cover my eyes with an arm, once I can open my eyes, she is in the same position, still under me but wearing the S.O.N.G. uniform instead of her Symphogear _‘Good,’_ I thought before doing the same and taking off Ichaival, knowing that we are the only one around here.

I wanted to initially take the relic away from her just to be sure, but since she wears it as a bracelet around her hand rather than a pendant, I give up the idea, “So, how are you feeling?” I begin to check her condition.

“My cheek hurts a bit,” she says, twitching the muscles of her face.

Her answer earns her a small chuckle from me, “Yeah, sorry about that, still, it’s a small thing compared to what I took from you.”

“What do you mean?” she asks frowning again, _‘Damn it! I did it again.’_

I swiftly ignore her question by asking another, “What is the last thing you can remember?”

While not pleased that I ignore her question, Hibiki paused a bit to ponder mine, “You, manhandling me,” she says with a smirk, earning a swat on her shoulder and me telling her to be serious despite not succeeding to hide a smile. Thinking seriously this time she says; “I was following the Illuminati member, contacting you that I got him before being thrown purple powder at the face.”

I sigh, “That’s why I did tell you to be careful, dummy,” I say to her to which she apologizes while smiling sheepishly which I couldn’t help but sigh before turning her a smile.

After a short moment staying in this position, Hibiki breaks the silence once again, “Uhhh, Chris-chan? Can you get off of me?”

I consider the question, while I know I should get off of her by now, the somehow intimate contact I have right now with her certainly doesn’t encourage me in doing so, “Nope” I answer after pondering a bit, thinking of it as another reward for the trouble I did go through.

“Ehhh? Come on, Chris-chan, the ground is cold and dirty,” she complains, tossing her body from left to right, trying to throw me off.

“Well, I found myself perfectly comfortably seated and I can feel your warmth, so no,” my smile becomes wider while ignoring her shaking.

“If you don’t, I will make you, Chris-senpai,” she stresses the senpai part.

Hearing her calling me senpai a second time with this tone sent a jolt through my spine and make me realize that I perhaps shouldn’t have forced her, because this, becoming some kind of a turn on to me is something I certainly didn’t need to discover about myself

Ignoring my arousal, I taunt her, “Try! I’m reaaally curious about how you wi-kyaaa!” I interrupt myself and quickly get off of her while rubbing my ass, where I felt a sharp pain seconds prior.

Seeing Hibiki quickly jumping on her feet as she dusts herself, I glare at her, to which she grins shamelessly once she locks eyes with me, “I did warn you, Chris-chan.”

I was stunned a bit at how she was acting, that cheeky, slightly perverted behavior is something I have never seen before and while I don’t hate it, I can’t let it be unpunished. And I think she must have caught up on my train of thought because the moment I furrow my eyes on her, she began to run while laughing, of course with me giving chase.

I found myself panting heavily, leaning with one hand at the angles of the building where Hibiki made the last turn I saw her take, my eyes fixing the ground as well as a hand on my ribs where I feel a dull pain at each deep breath I took, forcing me to take smaller, shallow one to recuperate and ease the pain, _‘Well, at least I know it’s not a side stitch, but again maybe it would be better if it was,’_ I thought while regulating my breath and feeling already slightly better with each seconds passing by.

I stay like that for a moment, until I heard footsteps coming closer to me, lifting my eyes toward the person, it was Hibiki looking at me with a guilty expression, “Are you okay, Chris-chan?” she asks worriedly.

Brushing her worry off, I took a fistful of her jacket and pulled her toward me before leaning my head against her collarbone, not confident that my legs can move yet. My unexpected action causes her to wave her arms around aimlessly, not knowing what she should do with them before calmly putting them on my waist.

“Chris-senpai! Hibiki-san! Are you there?!” Our moment was interrupted by the call of our black-haired kouhai and followed by the other one right after.

“Didn’t you tell me that Kirika-chan and Shirabe-chan were sore from a hard training session with Shishou and that’s why both of us participate in this mission?”

“The old man thought that I would need back up, so he calls them. I also tell him that he will be the one to blame if I wrap things before they come, making them waste their time… It also makes me realize that I didn’t tell HQ that I had everything under control for a while now… And that’s he may have urged them to come since we take off our gear, causing them to lose our signal… Great,” I groan at the end, realizing my carelessness.

This earns a chuckle from Hibiki, “Well, we will just tell them you were busy checking if I was fine while being tired yourself, which it’s true” She winks at me when I threw a glance at her.

“And I can always add that you, running away from me wasn’t helping,” I smirk at her before pulling away from her a little, leading our moment of closeness to an end, to my slight chagrin.

Hibiki just had the time to pout at my word before we heard our kouhais calling our name once more. Looking at each other, I tilt my head toward the direction of their voices, “Better joined them before they send a whole team to look for us,” I say before heading toward their direction with Hibiki hot on her heels behind me.

It’s when we turn another corner that I found myself face to face with the Igalima wielder running, almost colliding with me if it was not for Hibiki pulling me out of the way in time.

The green Symphogear quickly comes to a halt and turns to us, pointing a finger at us, “Senpais in sight desu!”

“Chris-senpai, Hibiki-san, are the two of you alright?” Looking behind us, the pink Symphogear was slowly closing the distance.

Before either of us had the time to say anything that we were interrupted by the other wielder, “Before that Shirabe. Chris-senpai, where is the special enemy which we need the use of Anti-LiNKER?”

“Anti-LiNKER? What’s for?” Hibiki reacts, her eyes shifting on each of us before settling on me.

“Yes, the commander said that Chris-senpai requests it to make things easier,” I was once again interrupted before I could explain, causing to pinch the bridge of my nose in irritation.

“So, Chris-senpai! What kind of enem-”

“Arg, Shut up already!” I finally yell at them, before resuming, “The enemy I was dealing with didn’t have anything special, I ask for Anti-LiNKER to buy me more time to deal with it on my own since the old man really wanted to call you two for backup when it was unnecessary,” I pause to catch my breath, “And I was right since like you can see,” I pause once again, and showing the surrounding with my arms, “No special enemy around anymore.”

“Desu! So, you’re saying that there was no need for us and that we came all the way here for nothing?!” the green wielder says while sulking.

“Yeah, if you have a complaint about it, tell them to the old man, not me.” I say, beginning to walk in the general directions of the backup team, “Anyway, You tell the old man that I got the situation under control and that we’re heading back” I say, pointing at Hibiki and me, “Ask him about the two of you, it possible that you will have to take from where we left things up.”

* * *

In the end, with the Alca Noise exterminated our presence was no longer necessary, we all came back to HQ while the other teams stay behind to see what the Illuminati left behind for us.

Before we even have time to report to the old man than Hibiki was already being rushed toward the med bay for a battery of tests, _‘the old man must have already filled her about what happen to her, hopefully, she will not reveal it to Hibiki,’_ the helpless look she sent me as she was escorted was so cute that I couldn’t help but smile softly and I ended up telling her that I will join her as soon as I’m done reporting to the old man, she nodded before following the doctor as I head to the bridge with my two kouhais not far behind making idle chats between them on the way.

The report itself wasn’t that long since the crew was mostly concerned about what happened with Hibiki and the teams left behind will give them their once there are back. I just needed to tell them after how I looked for Hibiki following their direction that I was sent through walls after I founded her, fighting her until I manage to land a solid punch on her, which earn gasps and shocked expression from everyone and a proud from the old man, I end things with Hibiki ‘waking up’ with no recollection of the event after being thrown purple powder by the Illuminati’s member as well as me averting the subject she fought me to spare her the anguish.

After reminding that Hibiki and I still need to write our report I was finally dismissed and now on my way to the med bay, hoping that everything is fine with Hibiki.

“You’re all set Tachibana-san, whatever was in your system is completely gone so you have nothing to worry about,” I heard once the door slides open. The doctor Kyouko was seated on a chair, a leg crossed over the other while checking something on her tablet, surely Hibiki’s test result while her patient just finishes putting her shirt down, cursing myself for not coming sooner.

My arrival causes both of them to lift their head to me, “Ah! Good timing Yukine-san, your turn,” The doctor said to me while indicating to the bed adjacent to Hibiki.

Knowing that I’m not particularly injured or at least nothing that a night of rest couldn’t fix, I wave off her concern, “I don’t need a checkup, I’m perfectly fine,” the moment those words left my mouth that the doctor eyes were on me and I begin fidgeting under them while I notice Hibiki’s slightly worried gaze as it shifts between me and the doc. We stay like that a few seconds until the doctor quirks an eyebrow at me and I reluctantly head to the other bed, _‘Why do I even try, she is in charge of us since even before I joined the Section 2, and no matter how stubborn any of us are, she’s twice as much.’_

Seated on the bed, I untie the small scarf, then take off the jacket of the uniform, it’s once I reach for the hems of my undershirt that I notice Hibiki’s stare, seeming lost in thought but I could tell that she was staring intensely at where my hands were. Smiling internally to the fact that Hibiki is not indifferent to my body, I fully take off the red undershirt, leaving me just in my white bra and Hibiki gaze now on my breast while biting her lower lip.

Leaving her taking a good look for a moment, I finally decide that she had enough and call her off, “Did you see something interesting?” I tease her.

Eyes quickly switching from my chest to my face, “Huh?” Hibiki dumbly replied, before blushing furiously once realizing she has been caught and decide to avert my eyes and blabbering all kind of apologies, earning a chuckle from me.

“Sorry to cut the flirting short, but I have a patient to check and I will need for you to stand still Yukine san,” The doctor interrupts our moment while rolling her chair to my side.

My face heats up, realizing that I was so focused on Hibiki that I completely forgot her presence. Thankfully, the doctor didn’t linger much on us and promptly began my checkup. It’s when she pressed her hand around my ribs that I wince at the mild pain I felt, the pain is the same I felt when I ran after Hibiki.

“Hmm, Congratulation Yukine-san, despite being ‘perfectly fine’ like you said, you seem to have bruised ribs. And from what I know of the Symphogear System defense, you must have taken a particularly hard blow for it to occur,” She says the whole thing with a smile on her face.

 _‘Bruised!? No wonder I had trouble running after Hibiki after a short while, still, good thing I have a high pain tolerance,’_ I let out of sigh _‘I should be grateful that I didn’t end up with fractured or broken ones, especially after telling them that my opponent was nothing special.’_

“How bad is it?” The question makes me and the doctor turn toward Hibiki, she has an overly worried look and both of her hands were grasping her uniform’s short with tight fists.

I answer before the doctor could, “It’s actually not that bad, with a pack of ice to alleviate the pain if I felt any, plenty of rest, taking the necessary deep breath to not put myself at risk and I would heal in no time, hell depending on how I manage the movement of my body I could even run.”

“Which I discourage greatly, as well as any Symphogear activities, especially Symphogear activities, you’re off duty until I say otherwise. I will notice the commander of your condition as well as sending a note to the school. Tachibana-san, Can I count on you to not let Yukine-san do as she pleases, at least for the next few days?”

“Don’t worry Kyouko-san, I will not let Chris-chan off my sight,” The doctor words seem to motivate Hibiki greatly, she looks at me with a resolute gaze, at least until her stomach begin to growl, prompting her to put her hands on it and blushing while looking at us with a mortified expression.

I stand up, attracting the look of the other two persons in the room, “Well, let’s feed the beast inside you first before you begin taking care of me and don’t forget that we have a report to write.

While Hibiki’s face lit up at the mention of food, it quickly fell at the mention of the report. Waiting for her at the door she quickly stands up and joins me.

“Ah right, Yukine-san take this” going through her drawers and cupboards, she hands me a small bag, “take them when the pain is unbearable and you will need to-”

“Sleeping upright for the next few days, I know, not the first time it happens,” I finish her sentence, muttering the last as I take the medicines and leaving with Hibiki in tow.

We meet the ZABABA duet on our way to the cafeteria, wanting to know what our plan was for now; telling them that it will be the cafet first then writing the mission report. Since the both of them took a late breakfast, they were not that hungry and decide they would eat outside, bidding us goodbye.

“Wait, both of you!” I call them, walking to them while reaching for my phone, I send them an address, “you should try this place, they certainly have something on their menu that you two will love. Take it as compensation for coming.”

“Thank Chris-senpai!” I get from them both as well as a tight hug, which actually hurt a bit, but I bear it while patting their heads.

I was saved by Hibiki, which pulled me from them and toward her, attracting a confused look from both of them and a grateful one from me, “Sorry Kirika-chan, Shirabe-chan but we really should go now if we want to begin and finish those report.” She ends up, before dragging me away to their bewildered looks.

It’s when we are a fair distance from them that Hibiki slows down and let go of me, apologizing while looking at the ground, confusing me before I smile at it, “If I didn’t know that you drag me away from them because they were hurting me without knowing it, I would believe that you were jealous of them for hugging me.”

The silence that follows was louder than anything she could have said, “I was… a bit” at least until she admits it, “I… somehow always get rougher treatment than Kirika-chan and Shirabe-chan, despite knowing you from longer than them,” She confesses.

 _‘Right, it’s not because she says nothing and brushes things off with a smile that it didn’t affect her, even if I was doing it by sheer embarrassment at first, hitting her and complaining mostly become a habit and some way to keep up appearances,’_ my train of thought leads me to take advantage of this opportunity to do right.

“Then, would you like to hug me without me protesting?” I say to her while spreading my arms, inviting her for one.

My proposition surprised her at first and seem she was going to go for it, but instead, “Could you be the one to initiate it instead?” She counters with a proposition of her own, forcing my arms to fall back to my sides.

“Sorry, you don’t have to, I would be happy to take on yo-” She was cut off as I close the distance between us and embrace her.

“If you don’t tell anyone I was the one initiate it, I will stop hitting you except when you’re being stupid, deal?” I mutter in her ear.

I could hear her chuckling at my word, “Deal, nobody will know that badass Chris-chan is a softie that can hug others.”

It’s my turn to softly laugh at her words, “And who knows, maybe I will be willing to initiate another one with you in the future if hold your tongue well,” I playfully say to her.

“Then, maybe we should stop before someone caught us on camera.”

“Right” I answer, letting go of each before being reminded of our original destination by Hibiki’s stomach, chuckling at the mortification look on her face, “It seems hugs aren’t enough to satiate the beast inside you.”

“If they could, I would surely be glued to someone constantly.”

“Right, then let’s go see what’s the cafet have today and then work on our report.”

Agreeing with eating first Hibiki and I resumes our walk toward the cafet, our shoulder brushing aside from time to time with how close we remain from each other.

* * *

“I’m home,” I say once I pass through the entrance door, hanging my coat on the coat rack, I make my way toward the living room, crawling on the couch before letting myself fall on it, groaning bit to the brief moment of pain caused by action but closing my eyes nonetheless since its already subsiding.

“Ahhh, Chris-chan you can’t take a nap on the couch like that, you should at least change, also the doctor said you sleep in a more upright position,” Not even a minutes in this position that my newly assigned caretaker is on me, poking at my cheek to steer me awake, before shaking me when her first attempt didn’t work.

 _‘I’m just planning on taking a little nap, not sleeping, so no need to be in the correct position for this,’_ I thought as if she could hear my thoughts.

“You’re grumbling Chris-chan, I can’t understand what you’re trying to say,” seem like my thoughts tried to escape by mouth at the time but without much success.

I hear her sighing, thinking she has given up, but I was forgetting that this girl doesn’t know the meaning of those words, “Then you don’t leave me a choice, Chris-senpai,” she whispers those words right in my ear causing a wave of heat spreading inside my body before settling in one place. Before I have time to think about what she’s doing to me that I was flipped on my back and felt myself being carried bridal style to where I supposed is my bedroom.

I felt myself being lay down on one side of my bed for a moment, vaguely hearing Hibiki looking for something, until she is once again by my side, pulling on my upper body for me to sit, “Come on Chris-chan, can you cooperate with me a bit, then I let you sleep as much as you want?”

With the promise of her stopping manhandling me, I groggily lift both arms as she proceeds to pull me out of my dress, once she did it I vaguely have the presence of mind to untie my bra before throwing it to the side, releasing a sigh at the comfort being without it provide and the room becoming strangely silent.

“Hurry!” I grumble at the lack of activity as I remain topless and feeling my body getting cold.

“Ah! Sorry,” I hear her apologize, not knowing exactly why, maybe for making me wait I lift my arms once more, Hibiki finally put my top on me and make me lay down, lifting my legs to take off my shorts as well as my high stocking to put my pants on.

Once under cover, I heard her muttering about something being harder than she thought it would but I was honestly far above my limit about trying to keep track of what she could be doing or saying. Feeling a soft touch on my cheek and something that sounded like a ‘sleep well’, I finally let go of my thought and fall asleep.

I woke up, feeling a bit groggy and with a blurry memory of the past events since I passed the door of my apartment and fell down on the couch, something about Hibiki carrying me to bed and stripping me down to change my clothes vaguely go through my mind, making me look down at myself to see I was now wearing a red long-sleeve shirt and a grey tight sweatpants, pulling on the collar of my shirt, I see that I was braless, meaning that Hibiki definitely got a look at the goods which I can tease her about it, especially after what happened in the med bay. Not thinking more about it, I decided to see what my favorite kouhai was up to while I was asleep.

Passing the door of my bedroom and heading to the living room, I found her on one end of the couch wearing black shorts with a single vertical orange stripe on each side going mid-thigh and a tight shirt with the same color pattern. While I enjoyed the possibility of seeing her toned legs, I was as stunned that she own anything black considering her personality as the fact she looks gorgeous in it, the somber color revealing some kind of hidden part of herself.

But my biggest surprise was actually what she was doing; Hibiki was reading a book… and from where I was standing she looks pretty engrossed in it, to the point she didn’t even notice my presence as I approached her, even when my knee sank in the couch making her slightly sway toward me.

Taking great curiosity into this strange sight, I sit on the couch with a knee against my chest, my head resting on it while the other was hanging from the edge as I stare at Hibiki for a moment as her gaze shifts from pages to pages and flipping to the next ones when she reaches the end. After a moment, my eyes fall to her laps, make me wonder how come she’s not even slightly cold until I remembered each time I was in close contact with her and how she always felt so warm to me.

Seeking the feeling of her warmth against me I decided to lie down on the couch, my head on her exposed thighs with my face facing her body, it caused Hibiki to tense for a brief moment before relaxing and resuming reading with me being lulled by the sound of flipped pages.

“Thank you by the way,” I broke the comfortable silence, moving myself to end up on my back, head still on Hibiki’s lap and eyes closed.

What I said divert her attention from the book since I hear it being closed, “About what?” she asks.

“For carrying me to my bedroom and tucking me to bed.”

“I was just returning the favor, after all, you did the same for me,”

“Well, I didn’t carry you, more like drag you to bed. Though I certainly didn’t take your clothes off to change you,” I feel her stiffen at my sentence, “You even strip me of my bra, even if I appreciate it, it was pretty daring don’t you think?” I say with a smirk.

There was a brief silence before she talks, “Actually I didn’t touch it… you removed it on your own.”

“I did? Hmmm… Then did you take a look? With how much you stared at them when I was still wearing a bra in the med bay, I bet you couldn’t resist the temptation,” I teased her some more.

“YASSSAI MOSSAI! YASSSAI MOSSAI! YASSSAI MOSSAI!” Opening my eyes to the sound of my phone, they land on a still blushing Hibiki averting my gaze, taking mercy on her I move from my spot, getting up from the couch and moving in direction of the entrance, to take my phone out of my coat pocket.

“Who is it?” Hibiki asks as I make my way back to the couch while checking the sender.

“That’s just the ZABABA duet, seem like they loved the C3 and are thanking me for giving them the address,” I tell Hibiki the content of the message as I sit back beside her before turning to her, “though, I guess they should address the- What’s so funny?” I stop myself when I see her chuckling for no reason.

“Sorry, it’s just how you called them the ‘ZABABA duet’,” She manages to say through fits of giggles.

I huff before playfully hitting her shoulder, “I’m just used to it, you should know that by now.”

“But you call Tsubasa-san ‘senpai’ though,” she says with a small smile.

“I was in a desperate situation, and while I knew you still have faith in me despite the show of betrayal I displayed during the frontier incident, I could not say the same about her at first, also I was bugged so I couldn’t just ask for help out of the blue in the middle of the fight. And the only reason I keep calling her that now is because she kept nagging me about it afterward, to the point she even complained to you about it.” I ended up being irritated when recalling the event, _‘Senpai surely make me regret right away calling her that,’_ I thought before sighing.

“To be honest, I didn’t like it at that time, it felt like the two of you suddenly got closer while I was still making mistakes in trying to make you like me,” Her head was hanging down by the end of her sentence.

Her confession about how I make her feel all this time clench my heart, _‘She was just trying her best in her own way, but even if she knew I didn’t hate her it still doesn’t mean that my behavior wasn’t affecting her deeply.’_

Determinate to put an end at my behavior that ends up hurting her repeatedly to my ignorance, I get closer to Hibiki, sliding one arm around the back of her head and the other around her waist before leaning her body against mine, her head on my shoulder, “I’m sorry,” I begin while softly patting her head, “While I knew you didn’t have any bad intention, at that time I was already struggling in trusting other, so opening up to other was certainly not on my plans. But in the end, you were all so persistent, especially you, in your attempts that I finally cave in and without warning I begin trusting you guys. While opening up was still far away, I was happy to have people to call friends. So, thank you Hibiki, to have reached out your hand to me and know that I’m deeply sorry for how I treated and made you feel until now.”

Hibiki stays silent for a moment, her only answer being to circle her arms around me and nuzzling in the crook of my neck, releasing a soft sigh that tickles me before asking, “Ne, Chris-chan, can you call me by my name, just once?”

I honestly always thought that if I were to call her by her name that it will be a very embarrassing moment, that the other would tease me to no end about it or maybe nagging me to have the same treatment as well. But actually, nothing like that even crossed my mind at this moment, no, the only thing on my mind was the possibility to right more wrong I did to her and to alleviate any of her security she had about me toward her.

I didn’t even need to take a deep breath to prepare myself, “I have a better idea,” I begin, forcing her to lean her head back, her eyes meeting mine before I resume, “how about instead of just once, I call you Hibiki from now on?”

Her reaction told me everything I need to know as well as how much it was weighing on her, she gave me one of her biggest smile that I loved so much to see while tears began to fall down her cheeks. I press her head against my shoulder again, the time her shaking and sobs cease.

It didn’t take much, just a few minutes later, “Then, can I call you Chris from now on too?” she asks after leaning back.

Her question caused me to lift her eyebrow, “I always thought that you just liked to call me that.”

What I said caused to avert my eyes, “Well, I was never sure where I stood and while you didn’t seem to mind anymore that Miku and I didn’t add senpai, I didn’t want to spark anything by calling you just Chris suddenly.”

“Hmmm,” musing over what she said, I came to a sudden realization, “Does that mean that each time she called me by my name, you were jealous she was able to?” I begin to laugh at it when I saw her blushing at my remark, rapidly putting it under control because of the slight discomfort the pain causes, I pat her head once more, “Call me whatever you want, Hibiki.”

She smiles once more before furrowing her eyebrow to my worry at what negative thoughts could plague her now, I wait for her to decide if she wants to share them with me, and she did “About this whole thing, does that mean it will only be when the two of us are alone?” she tentatively asks.

I release a sigh of relief at this simple question, _‘And here I thought something important was troubling her… Well, I guess it’s important for her…’_ I thought, “Well, while I wouldn’t mind keeping it just between us, I think it wouldn’t be fair to you that you can’t brag about it even a little, especially when senpai was so shameless about it… So, honestly, do as you please and I will give proof when needed, deal?” I give her one of my rare bright smiles.

She returns my smile with one of her own before saying happily ‘Deal!’

“Good, then, would you mind making us one of your hot chocolate with almond milk?”

“I knew you will end up addicted to it Chris, coming right away!” she says, getting up and going in direction of the kitchen, my eyes following each of her movements before I lean my head against the back of the couch, thinking _‘I’ve made more progress with Hibiki in the last few days that I could in the last year, confessing things I didn’t expect to be able to and letting go of unnecessary restraint I had around her, even feeling happy about it. If things keep up like that, I will probably confess by the end of the weekend, hopefully, she feels more about me than just friendship’_ I banish the last thought since nothing will come out of it by thinking about it. _‘All I know is that she is interested in my body, well mostly my chest, but I’m not the only one of the group to have a big one. She also did repeatedly seeks close contact with me, but again she is like that with everyone… Yeah, I should just stop bothering myself with it and just enjoy her company until she leaves tomorrow.’_

While waiting my eyes lands on the book she was reading, a perfect distraction, “Didn’t expect to catch you one day reading a book and seeing how engrossed you were in it, it must be a really good one,” I say to her while picking the strangely familiar book.

“It’s yours actually, I had some time to kill after finishing the chores, so I wandered a bit in the room and got curious about your shelf content.”

What she said made me take another look at the book I was holding, until recognition came, _‘That’s right. It’s the book I buy out of curiosity after reading the synopsis, I completely forgot about it with the whole Bavarian Illuminati thing.’_

Reading the synopsis once more and leafing through the firsts pages, I remember why I pick it up at that time. Hibiki came back holding two mugs with one stretched toward me. Thanking her, I take the beverage from her hand before bringing it to my lips to take a sip. Swallowing I lean back against the couch, releasing a sigh of pleasure from the warmth procured by the hot chocolate.

Hibiki sat back beside me, closing the already small distance between us before leaning her head on my shoulder and taking a sip from her own mug.

We spend the next moment seated peacefully, drinking and enjoying each other presence.

“So, what should we do for dinner, Chris?”

“Let’s just go with ordering pizzas, what do you think?”

“Work with me.”

Moving from her, I get up, taking her empty mug with mine as well as taking my phone to make the order, “You should take your bath first,” I say to her while heading toward the kitchen.

Agreeing with me she heads to the bedroom while I put the mugs in the sink, wash them before leaving them to dry out. Drying my hands, I take my phone to order in my favorite pizzeria, “Hibiki, what do you want on your pizza?” I ask her when I saw her exit the bedroom and before she enters the bathroom.

“I’m fine with anything,” she answers nonchalantly before disappearing inside the bathroom.

“The simplest and at the same time the most complicated answer, well whatever I will just order a Quattro Formaggi and a half seafood half teriyaki chicken,’ I mumble while dialing the number.

I easily become a regular to this pizzeria with how little time I have to wait to get my order delivered, twenty to half an hour, really a lifesaver when I come home tired and in no mood to cook anything. Just need a call, giving plenty of time to freshened a bit, change clothes and get everything ready while waiting for the delivery man, and thank to that killer metabolism of mine, I don’t put any extra weight, allowing me to repeat those days as much as I want.

When Hibiki exit the bathroom wearing her usual orange pajama and a towel in hand to dry her hair, I found myself already missing her allure in black clothes. Quickly finishing to set the pizzas boxes on the table in front of the couch, I invite Hibiki to sit at the edge of the couch near me before I take the towel from her hands and finish drying her hairs for her, running my fingers through them to check that there is no longer trace of moisture, the fragrance of the shampoo she used reach me and before I realize it my nose was already in her hairs breathing in it.

“Chris, the pizza is getting cold,” she finally says after letting me indulge myself in this moment

“Yeah, let’s eat,” I say, leaning back from Hibiki as I refocus my thoughts.

We watched one of the old man movies that Hibiki’s brought with her while eating our share, commenting the movie and having some idle chat.

Once the movie ended, Hibiki was the one to take on the empty boxes and putting them in a trash bag, sealed and ready to be thrown out.

Getting up from the couch and stretching myself a bit, I felt a pain that reminds me that I have bruised ribs that I should be taking care of.

“You should take your bath now Chris, then go straight to bed to accelerate the healing process” Her word came as if she sensed that I was thinking about it, and as much I would want to ignore what she is saying since she promised it to the doc there is just no way for me to get out of this. So I just made a trip to my bedroom to take what I need and then go into the bathroom.

I release a moan when I’m soaking in the bath, the heat doing wonder to my body as I let my thought wander. _‘Well, while the day didn’t begin how I would have liked, I’m certainly not complaining about the following events, Hibiki shared some of her insecurities and I was able to ease each of them as well as getting the necessary push to freeing myself from some of my restraints,’_ I thought before letting myself sinking into the water.

When I exit the bathroom while still drying my hair, Hibiki was once more seated on the couch with the books she was reading earlier. Once she notices me she quickly put the bookmark on her page, setting the book aside and tapping with her hand the place beside her for me to come. In the end, she reciprocates what I did to her by drying my hairs, even leaning her nose in them to breathe in them before putting my hair in a low ponytail.

Once she gets up, extending her hand toward me that I gladly took, she leads me to the bedroom while putting away the towel in the laundry basket in the bathroom.

I let myself being tucked to bed, the upright position in which I must sleep made Hibiki unable to cuddle unless it’s snuggle to me on the same level, instead she opts for circling her arms around my stomach, the unusual sleeping position making me able to stroke her hairs and I could swear she lets out a purr escape her lips.

Not feeling tired enough to sleep, I decide to strike a conversation, “So, Hibiki, how was your day?”

My question causes Hibiki to look at me strangely, “We spend the whole day together Chris, there’s nothing that you don’t know about it.”

“Come on, just humor me,” I say with a smile.

Pondering over my request, she seems to finally resign herself, “Well you see Chris, I got to spent the whole day with my cool and sometimes cute senpai,” she grins and wriggles her eyebrows at me when saying the ‘cute’ part, which I roll my eyes, “we woke up in the same bed, go on a mission together, fought together, ate lunch and wrote our report together, watch a movie while eating pizza together and now I’m in bed with her,” she finishes still smiling. “What about you Chris? How was your day?” she asks me.

I decide to follow the same pattern as her, “Well, Hibiki. My day didn’t begin as well as yours, I was woken up to the ringing of my phone about an assignment that needs my too optimist kouhai as well as my participation, said assignment got, of course, complications where I had to fight, alone, a particular foe who manage to get the drop on me, leading to me sporting an injury,” seeing her troubled expression I quickly follow, “But well, things got better afterward, I got my adorable kouhai as caretaker, meaning, her not leaving my side, lots of pampering, cuddles, snuggles, hugs… she even tucked me to bed when I was too tired to do it myself. And she also makes a killer hot chocolate,” My last sentence was delivered with a teasing smile, earning a soft chuckle before a comfortable silence takes place.

It was broken after a brief moment by Hibiki, “Ne Chris, the special opponent you were talking about… It was me wasn’t it?”

It was a question, at least it sounds like it was one, but when my eyes lay on hers, I realized it was not. She already had her answer, so it’s more as if she wanted to know what I will answer; will I tell her the truth or lie straight to her face. I was able to avoid telling her what really happened before, if I were to lie to her now, she could see it as me not trusting her which would end up hurting her. I remember how I felt when the crew, senpai included, knew that Hibiki’s life was in danger with each time she dons Gungnir. To think that things had to become even worse, to the point they didn’t have the choice but to inform us about it was what hurts more. And even despite knowing it, Hibiki was still willing to fight, as if she had a death wish, I certainly not regret almost begging for her not to though.

 _‘Things between us are changing for the better and I don’t want to taint it already with useless lies,’_ I thought before letting out a sigh, “Yes, it was you,” I finally say to her, “you were standing still when I found you, couldn’t seem to reach you by talking or with physical contact, that’s when I drop my guard…”

She finishes my sentence, “And I attacked you. That’s why you ask for Anti-LiNKER.”

“Yeah… I didn’t lie when I said it was to give me more time, I didn’t want them to see you like that, thankfully, the crew never managed to have access to the cameras, so there is no record of you fighting me available,” I say, trying the lift the mood, but failing.

“How bad was it, fighting me?” She asks after another brief silence.

“Honestly it was unnerving, I already knew what you were capable of, but this fight… arg, just thinking about it piss me off.” I decide to vents my feelings.

Surprisingly, Hibiki chuckle at it “So it was not much different from when we train together.”

I chuckle myself, “Close, but no, it was worse, during training I know I can get you by simply overwhelming you with a rain of bullets, but this fight, just impossible; [BILLION MAIDEN] didn’t work, [MEGA DETH PARTY] neither, you deflect my [RED HOT BLAZE] from a blind spot as if it was nothing and don’t even let me start with [MEGA DETH FUGA],” I angrily pout by the end of my rant while crossing my arm below my chest.

“Was I, that incredible?” she asks in disbelief.

“Yes, you were! So much that’s you left me in a daze more than once in the middle of the fight, I would have gladly sat back and watched you wreak havoc if I was not your opponent,” I let out as I close my eyes, remembering the diverse movements that I almost drooled over before shaking my head to chase these memories away.

“Then how did I end up waking up, face on the ground with you on top of me?”

“I punched you,” I answer flatly.

“Eh?”

“I punched you,” I repeat in the same tone.

Blinking several times at my words, “How?” she finally asks.

“Hell, if I tell you how I managed to do it, I will keep it to myself,” I say resolutely.

At least until I saw her pouting, which I quickly avert my eyes before my resolve begins to crumble.

After a moment of Hibiki trying to nag me into answering she let out a sigh, “Fine,” hearing this, I finally release a sigh of relief, I was not sure how long I could have last if she had kept it up.

Before I have time to say anything that Hibiki yawns, _‘The events must be catching up on her,’_ I thought before putting my hand on her head and resume the stroking, “Come on, let’s sleep, we still have tomorrow to enjoy,”

Humming, she settles herself into her original position, nuzzling against my sides before softly saying, “Good night Chris.”

“Sleep well Hibiki,” I answer her in the same soft voice before I close my eyes while I keep stroking Hibiki’s hair, stopping only when I fell asleep.


	4. Come by Anytime

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> An interesting wake up followed by breakfast in bed leads Chris and Hibiki toward several confessions as well as a date on their last day.
> 
> How their weekend will end ?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the long wait, a month ago my data got corrupted causing me to lose the almost finished chapter, I was able to recover roughly 60% of it but had to get my head around once more to write it again.
> 
> In the end, I did it and what better day to post it than on Hibiki's Birthday !!!
> 
> I didn't mean to, but here a chapter longer than all the previous combined.

Today, I’m slowly waking up by the sound of soft ruffling of bedsheets as well as soft mutters. Since there are not my own I can only assume that they belong to Hibiki,

“Eheheh, I finally got to see Chris’ sleeping face from up close,” those are the first words I hear Hibiki says clearly.

I want to open my eyes and ask her what she is doing, but instead, decided to keep laying still and see what she will do or say to me.

The sudden sound of a camera shutter is the next thing I hear and it takes everything in me to not snap my eyes open and remains still, _‘Whatever she did, it’s already too late for me to prevent it by now,’_ I thought calmly. Then I hear the same sound once more, _‘Don’t act rashly! I just know she took another photo, doesn’t mean I’m on them, maybe she took a selfie,’_ I theorize, slowly relaxing my body once again.

“Hmmm… Yep, perfect! Chris is really cute when asleep, I will set it as my new wallpaper and this one as her profile image. Good thing I manage to wake up early.”

The giddiness in her voice is easily noticeable, ‘ _Well, it settles it, I’m on them for sure, and as her wallpaper even, that’s mean she likes me enough that she doesn’t mind seeing me each time she will unlock her phone. But it’s doesn’t mean she shares the same feelings I have for her, since I’m certain she must have the same kind of photo of her childhood friend in it, the same surely goes for the ZABABA duet toward each other’s,’_ Despite trying to rationalize Hibiki’s action, I still can’t shake away the afterthought at the possibility that my feelings could be mutual.

“Oh right, I should add them in my Chris’ Album… annnd there, two more photos in it.”

_‘She said what?! There is an entire album just for me in it?! No, wait, that’s doesn’t mean anything, she probably has one for each of us. I can’t be the only one… yeah, it must be it,’_ I manage to calmly think, quelling any hope blossoming in my chest.

I hear her sigh happily, “I really could look at Chris’ pretty face all day long.”

_’OK!!! It needs to stop! Everything she said until now is confusing me and I feel like I will go insane if I keep overthinking the meaning of what she’s saying while she believes I’m asleep. Better moving now before my body betrays me or she finds out I was listening all along, I don’t want to face the embarrassing situation it would cause, especially on her side!’_ I alarmingly thought.

“Well, then sorry but I have to cut your stargazing short, but I appreciate the compliment,” How I manage to say this with a calm face and with just a faint blush was honestly a wonder to myself.

Opening my eyes to look at Hibiki’s reaction, her eyes are wide open in surprise until realization seems to settle, then her whole face becomes red, prompting her to hide it in her hands, digging the whole in the mattress beside me while her screams were muffled by both hands and mattress. _‘So much to avoid this scene.’_

Despite how cute her antic was, I settle to stroke her head as comfort, “Next time, make sure to either check if I’m not awake or lower your voice a bit more.” Her answer is to whine louder, at least as loud as she could while her hands and mattress muffles the sound.

Seeing it has no effect I decide on a confession, “Fine. I feel the same about you.”

That manages to calm her down as she tentatively peeks at me from her position, “what do you mean by you feel the same about me?”

I sigh, rubbing the back of my neck and averting my eyes from her before elaborating, “I may have taken advantage of the moment when you were asleep on the couch to look at your face. It’s just… seeing your sleeping face as some kind of soothing effect… and you were too cute for me to not look,” I mumbled the last while certain I was blushing by the end of my small tirade.

Locking eyes with Hibiki as she takes in everything I said, she then crawls toward me, settling her head on my laps, closing her eyes as she says, “Compared to you, Chris, I don’t think I’m cute or anything.”

I scoff at what she just said, “I could say the same about myself, I really don’t know what you find cute about me, I know I’m pretty good but…”

She quickly sat up at my words, taking my hands in hers and looking at me straight in the eyes, “You are by far the prettiest girl I know Chris, I love your purple eyes, your long silver-white hair, how cute you are when you get shy and blushes at what we could say to you and you have a nice womanly figure unlike me, with those big boobs of yours, begging me to rub my face into the-Mmmf!”

I pull a hand from her grip when I saw her eyes dropping dangerously to my chest and clouding in the middle of her rant, prompting to quickly shove it in her face, shutting her up and pushing her away from me a bit before she could add anything or decides to act on what she was saying, _‘It’s not because I’m in love with her that she gets a free pass to do anything she wants to me.’_ I thought, feeling my face heating up again.

“I understand what you’re saying. So, you think I’m cute, right?” she nods, not bothered by my hand still on her face, “And you will probably fight anyone who says otherwise, myself included,” she gives me another, firmer nod.

I sigh, closing my eyes for a brief moment before setting them on her once more, “But, you think there is nothing appealing about you,” She looks down, her hands leaving mine as she weakly shook her head.

Sighing once again and leaving my hand from her face, I put both on her cheeks, bringing her closer to me, leaving just a few inches between us as I look at her straight in the eyes the same way she did, “Then hear me out,” I begin, “I think of you as the cutest and adorable girl around, your amber eyes held a warmth that’s, sometimes, make it hard for me to not just look into them, I love those wild, untamable hair of yours, how cute you are when you are pouting… But most of all, I love your smile,” I wasn’t even halfway that she was blushing furiously, sparing her I decide to stop here, “What I mean is, the same way you will confront anyone that thinks otherwise about me, I will do the same concerning you, got it?” I earn a small nod in answer.

Staying in this position, with me holding Hibiki’s face, I notice her eyes repeatedly shifting downward, then back to my eyes, realizing she was in fact looking at my lips, I rapidly debate with myself if kissing her right now would be a good idea.

Thinking that what I just said to her was the closest from a love confession, I’ve decided to go for it and slowly lean to her almost in a trance while maintaining eye contact as Hibiki closes hers, waiting for me to close the rest of the distance.

The growling of our stomach is what snaps us out of the moment, mortified by such timing, I end up leaning my forehead against her, grumbling.

Chuckling softly, Hibiki puts her hands on mine, leaning into them as she seems to like the close contact, “How about some breakfast, Chris?”

“The monster inside me is all for it,” I joke.

She chuckles once more in turn, “Then, you stay here while I cook us something,” she says, getting up from the bed.

“I will help you,” I say, moving as well, not wanting to do nothing.

“Huh huh,” She shakes her head while gently pushing me back on the bed, “You’re still recovering Chris, so just stay here while I cook, I will try not to be too long.”

Knowing it’s useless to fight her when she uses the “recovery card”, I settle myself, watching her as she walks toward the door, my eyes landing on her butt on her way out.

“I like your butt too,” I found myself saying to my own surprise.

“Huh?” Hibiki’s turn sideways toward me, head cocked to the side.

“You said I have a nice womanly figure unlike you,” she offers me a nod before I resume “I just wanted to say that you have a nice figure as well.”

She looks at her body, as if searching for what I was talking about before looking at me, “I don’t know, while I’m lucky to have a chest big enough, I trained regularly with Shishou, building muscles with each session, I really don’t think anyone would be attracted to it.”

I’m actually taken aback by her words, “Don’t you think then that the six of us are in the same boat with our regular training?”

She shakes her head, looking at the ground, “Tsubasa-san and Maria-san are world-known idols so it will not be much of a problem to them, Kirika-chan and Shirabe-chan stick together most of the time so it doesn’t bother them and you, it’s mostly to increase your stamina since the nature of your gear drain you a lot with you shift weapon, the focus needed with each of them and the fact you are always on the lookout when you are on mission with me or Kirika-chan and Shirabe-chan.”

My eyes widen a bit at what she says about me, she should not have realized that, _‘while I do look out for the other two on the idol request and I’m instinctively doing it when I’m with Hibiki, I didn’t expect her to notice it,’_ I shake my head, _‘How did she notices is not what’s important right now.’_

Focusing on the matter at hand, I grab a nearby pillow before throwing it at Hibiki’s, “Think fast!”

She lifts her head, for the pillow to hit her square in the face without her being able to react.

She was dumbfounded for a moment until what happens sink in and begin pouting, “I’m being serious there Chris!”

Crossing my arms, emphasizing my chest without meaning to, “So am I. What did I just say to you?”

Hibiki searches for a moment before saying quizzically “That the six of us are in the same boat?”

I groan, “Before that,” I say in an impatient tone, causing her to think once again.

Seeing the silence stretching longer and longer I give up, “I say that you have a nice figure. But if you compared it to others, you will obviously find flaws in yourself, like how big our chest is, which I would win, or how tall we are which will be yours. But you don’t care about my heights, right?

“Hmm, I like you the way you are.”

I nod, her words putting a smile on my face before I say confidently, “The same goes for me, I like you the way you are, you train because it’s necessary and because you like it too, so while gaining muscles is unavoidable, I think you should be proud of it, after all, it’s the result obtained to protect the lives of those important to you. Also…” I motion to come closer with my hand.

Once at reach arm of me I proceed to gently pinch one of her arms and pulling a little, “You still have chubby arms, so you have a long way to go before you become totally buffs… And how much you eat helps a lot in not reaching that point… maybe,” I tease her.

Before I have time to react that Hibiki’s arms were around my waist and her head against my belly, “Thank you, Chris.”

“Anytime, Hibiki,” I replied while stroking her head, something I seem to do a lot recently, “Though I have to ask; why are you so bothered by it? Is there a girl you are interested in?” I try to tease, hiding my worry about her answer.

She lets go of me, leaning back and begin to panic “What? No! I mean, what makes you think it’s a girl…wouldn’t a boy be the obvious answer,” the last part was muttered and almost inaudible but I could hear it loud and clear as I feel my heart sink.

_‘Right… I was so focused on the fact that she and her childhood friend were not dating that I didn’t even think she is straight, she did say she never had a boyfriend when she first introduced herself to me.’_

Zoning out for a bit, some bits of her sentence, a question, manages to reach me. Lifting my head that I drop without knowing and looking at her, “what?” I let out with a weak voice.

Swallowing as she grips tightly at the bedsheets she repeats her question, “I asked if it would be weird if it was a girl?” Her eyes were looking straight at me, conveying how much she wanted an answer my opinion on it.

I could only furrow my eyebrows once her question fully makes its way to my brain, whatever personal issue I have forgotten has I focus on hers.

My extended silence must have put her on edge because she adds, “It’s just an example! It’s not like I’m or-”

“I don’t mind!” I say firmly.

“Huh?” Hibiki’s hands stopping mid-air as she looks at me.

“I don’t mind, hell I would even say who care what your preferences are!? Not even until this Thursday, I thought, as well as the others and surely the whole of the staff that you and your roommate were dating, so if anyone had something against it you would have heard it. Also, if I ever heard someone saying anything against it, he will take a bullet.”

Hibiki was still looking at me, blinking dumbly.

“Sooo… girls huh?” Hibiki’s blushes, a little embarrassed before nodding with a shy smile, causing me to smile in turn, leaping in joy internally that Hibiki is not straight, “Welcome to the club, then.”

Hibiki’s eyes would have surely popped up of her head if it was possible, which is reasonable, after all, I just outed myself in front of her, but I did it as much as it was necessary for her to know that’s someone is in the same boat as her that I did it for myself too.

Hibiki finally manages to recover from her shock and asks the obvious question, “You mean… Chris… You are…” Well, at least she tried to.

“Gay? A lesbian? Swing the other way or whatever useless term they tried to put on us? Let’s just agree that I prefer girls over boys.”

“Whoa… Far too many things are happening during this weekend”

“You tell me, if someone told me this would happen when I invited you to spend the weekend here, I would have shot them for their nonsense,” I say, pointing my finger at Hibiki and mimicking the motion, the both of us laughing afterward.

“Though I really didn’t expect Chris to be the same.”

“Hey, I’m the one surprised here, I went from you not dating your childhood friend to thinking you were straight to you admitting that you weren’t,” I say, shaking my head. _‘She did not use a label, either she doesn’t feel comfortable using them or like me, don’t care about it, well it doesn’t really matter in the end, it won’t change her.’_ I thought distractedly.

The growling of our stomach remind us that we were both hungry, Hibiki quickly got on her feet, “Sorry Chris, I will make breakfast right away,” she says already on her way to the door.

Just before leaving, I call her name, drawing her attention as she has a hand on the doorknob, “nice butt,” this time, those words were said intentionally.

She offers a smile, thanking me for the compliment before leaving.

Once alone and letting the whole situation sink in, I quickly grab a nearby pillow, put it on my face before squealing into it. _‘I can’t believe I got her to confess that she is into girls… and that I did the same as well! Wait, does that mean that if it was not for our stupid stomach, we would be making out right now, or maybe confessing each other…’_ my thoughts running wild, I compose myself, the pillow off my face ending against my chest, _‘No, screw that, she could have as well freaked out to the whole thing, getting the hell out of my apart and then blaming herself for potentially ruining our improved friendship,’_ I smile bitterly at the probably accurate thought, before letting out a sigh ‘ _Actually, it’s a good thing we didn’t, it’ already took a lot from her and me to reach our current state, and I surely, as much as Hibiki, don’t want to go back to how we were before. Better see how things go for now.’_ I end my thought with a smile.

_‘Still, what was that comment about her butt!’_ I thought angrily after a moment, opening my eyes, _‘I’m always showing myself complaining about the girls being lovey-dovey with each other and now that I learn she’s gay I straight up jump to flirting with Hibiki… At least she was not offended, may even have been flattered, judging by her reaction.’_

I straighten myself, my thumb and forefinger on my chin and hugging the pillow against me a bit more tightly, _‘Though, could she be into me?’_ I thought hopefully _‘I mean she admitted to being jealous at how I treat the others better compared to her, all the things she like about my appearance, hell she even notices how I watch over her when we are on missions. Wait, if she, hypothetically, of course, felt like that about me all along why would she not confess to me at one point? I can’t think of anything able to hold back this girl when even death can’t.’_

I ponder on the thought a moment before face-palming myself, once realization came upon me, _‘IT’S ME!!!’_ I scream internally, _‘what’s holding her back is me dammit! She says it herself, how my rougher treatment compared to others made her insecure about where we stood with each other as well as making her jealous from the others, hell she was even scared that suddenly calling my name without honorific would upset me… While I managed to quell those ideas about me disliking her attention toward me by letting her hug me and other things, it doesn’t mean that those same insecurities did go away overnight. It wouldn’t be surprising then if she were hiding her feelings from me,’ I thought, nodding to myself._

“Hibiki would obviously choose to keep our current friendship instead of risking it with a love confession, especially after all the trouble it took us to be at a point where she can hug me without suffering a backlash from me. So, if my theory is correct, if I ever want for Hibiki and me to be more than friends, the confession that will put our friendship at risk would fall on me,” I mutter absently, already searching a way to confess and salvage our relationship in case of the worst.

After racking my head for a solution, I end up giving up, _‘Nothing will come if I try to force things up, better leave things to happen on their own while enjoying the benefits of our newfound friendship for now, I could even use the day to try things I always wanted to do with her and test the water at the same time.’_

It’s when I stop my musing that I hear the doorknob of my bedroom, the door then fully opened, revealing Hibiki holding with one hand a tray high enough so that I’m unable to tell its content as well as two glasses full of what seems to be orange juice in the other, _‘How the hell did she open the door if she couldn’t use her hand’_ the thought quickly pass my mind before I let it go.

Once at my side of the bed, she holds out the tray to me, “Sorry Chris, Can you take the tray for a bit?” I reach toward the tray with both hands, setting it on my laps to see the content as the smell enters my nostrils while Hibiki goes around the bed, climbs on it while being careful as to not spill the orange juice before sitting in the lotus position, taking the tray from my laps and putting on the bed between us with the glasses on it before announcing, “Tada! Breakfast in bed!”

Breakfast was composed of three stacks of pancakes generously covered in maple syrup and with a piece of butter on top, a carton of orange juice for refills and even the bottle of syrup to add more.

Before I have time to say anything that Hibiki was already cutting in before I was presented the fork with a piece of pancake on it, “Here Chris, say ‘Ahhh’,” Hibiki says to me holding the fork to me, with her other hands below to prevent any syrup to drip on the bedsheet.

“I can feed myself,” I reply, reaching for the fork in her hand.

Dodging my hands by taking away the fork, she represented it once more to me, “Come on Chris, just the first bite, please,” she pouts slightly.

Sighing, I reluctantly open my mouth to let Hibiki feed me, chewing on the piece and relishing in the sweetness caused by the syrup, I finally swallow, locking eyes with Hibiki eager look on her face waiting for something from me.

“How is it, Chris?” She asks after a moment of silence.

I smile to her, “There are delicious, Hibiki, good job,” I say before reaching for the other set of fork and knife, cutting a piece of pancake and bringing toward Hibiki the same she did for me, “Your turn.”

Hibiki didn’t even hesitate, her mouth quickly closing around my fork, squealing in happiness as she chews on the piece I offered, _‘I could really get used to it, us acting like that.’_

Both of us then proceed to attack our own stack of pancakes with some idle chat, drinking the orange juice between bites and not minding the fact that we were using the fork which we used to feed the other first bite. I quickly understood the presence of the third stack when I realize how fast we devoured our own and that we still had room for more.

“Here the last bite Chris,” Hibiki’s fork is once again in front of me, this time with the last piece of pancake. My mouth closes around the fork before I have time to think about it, swallowing the last piece of pancake and passing my tongue across my bottom lip to lick the excess of syrup.

Looking up at Hibiki, I see her eyes fixed on my lips while she bites her own, “Thank for the pancake Hibiki, there were delicious.” I say to her, snapping her out of her trance and forcing her to look at me rather than my lips despite loving the attention she gave them.

“Cooking breakfast was the least I could do, Chris,” she responds while refilling our glasses with the rest of orange juice before handing mine.

Once our glasses empty, Hibiki picks up the tray with the empty plates and glasses on it before exiting the room. Lending an ear to pick up the activity outside my bedroom, I hear the sound of dishes and running water.

After a moment, Hibiki is rushing back in the bedroom, closing the door on her way in, before climbing hastily on the bed, making me bounce a bit as she got near me to finally put her hands around my belly and waist and snuggling her head against the side of my chest.

My new reaction to her hugs is now to wrap my arms around, causing Hibiki to sigh in contentment, “You sure hugs me a lot lately,” I say with a smile.

“And you never fail to return them now Chris, so I’m taking full advantage of it to catch up on.”

I chuckle at it, “and how much there is to catch up exactly?” I ask, already knowing approximately.

“There are **months** Chris! You denied me hugging you for **months** , I’m not letting go of you till I have them back… with interest” She says looking with eyes full of mischief, something I don’t think I ever see with her, but I don’t dislike it.

“You realize that you don’t have that much time on our hand, right?”

“Don’t care, I’m not letting go until I’m satisfied.”

Sighing, I attempt to negotiate, “Then, how about staying like that and then hanging out a bit this afternoon?”

She ponders a bit, intertwining her legs with mine before nodding, “Deal.”

Reaching an agreement, I relish in Hibiki’s warmth, closing my eyes to enjoy the moment and planning what she’s not aware will be a date.

* * *

Hibiki and I were heading toward the first location of our date, or rather, I was leading while Hibiki was walking by my side, pestering me to know where I’m taking her.

“So, when did you realize you were into girls?” I ask her still looking straight ahead, distracting her from where we are heading.

“Do I really have to tell you?” she asks back a bit uneasy.

“No you don’t, I’m just curious about what triggered yours,” I tell her, causing us to keep walking in silence as Hibiki chooses to not answer my question.

“So, when?” I ask once more, reviving the topic.

Hibiki groans, “You will keep asking about it, right? Despite saying that I don’t have to answer.”

I shrug, “Like I said, just my curiosity. Not every day someone around telling you that she is into girls, so wanting to know; when, the girls you check out and your crush seems to be standard questions for me. Of course, I will also answer if you ask about me.”

“I see.”

“Anyway we got time, and also we are here,” I say, putting the conversation on hold.

“Huh? It’s…” Hibiki sentence trails off, seeing the now-familiar place.

“We did agree to have lunch here next time, if it was not for the assignment as well the report we had to write, we would have done so yesterday.”

Hibiki groans at the mere mention of the report as she follows me inside the café.

We are greeted the moment we pass the entrance, “Welcome to the ‘Calamity Crowe Café’, would you like a table for two or are you waiting for more?”

The woman welcoming us was a bit smaller than senpai, she has red hair styled in twin tails reaching her shoulders with fringes on the side of her head, exposing her forehead, grass-green eyes, the same outfit as the other staff member composed of black dress pant and black waist apron, but with a long-sleeved navy blue dress shirt and the word ‘Exorcist’ written on her apron.

“Just the two of us,” I reply.

“Then, please, follow me, I will guide you to your table,” the woman says with the same gentle smile she has since we saw her.

As we follow her to our table, I notice that it was the same one with had the first time Hibiki and I eat here.

“I will come back soon with a pitcher of water, before taking your order,” the ‘exorcist’ tells once the both of us are seated, coat put on the back of our chair before leaving.

Once she left, Hibiki and I both reach for the menu, “Ne, Chris, How about we just ask for a recommendation?” Hibiki asks, barely closing her menu.

Locking my eyes for a moment with her while pondering her suggestion, I’ve decided to share my own “If we do that we will end up with the same dish and probably will have to choose once again if we are still hungry, how about choosing a dish on our own as well as going with the recommended one?”

Agreeing by nodding and humming Hibiki opens once more her menu to choose a dish.

Once set on a dish I close the menu, Hibiki doing the same a few seconds later and right on time as our ‘exorcist’ came back with a pitcher of water and two glasses.

Once she sets them on the table, she then takes out her notebook and pen from the pocket of her apron, “Are you ready to order?”

Hibiki’s the first to speak, “I will have the Mabo Curry.”

The staff member writes down Hibiki’s order before looking at me, “I will have the Three-Meat Ragu Sauce,” I tell her.

“Will that be all?” she asks after writing down my order.

“Actually, we would like to know what dish you could recommend us.”

“For the first-timer, we always recommend the ‘Crowe’s Special Quiche’ made by the owner itself, customers often come back just for this one. Would you like to share one with your respective order?”

I lock eyes with Hibiki, seeming eager to see what this dish is like, before looking back at the waitress, “We will take two of them as well,” I say, knowing that if this dish is as amazing as she’s telling us, sharing one between us could very well result in a small fight over it.

“So it will be one Mabo Curry, one Three-Meat Ragu Sauce and Two Crowe’s Special Quiche. Any drink?” we shake our head at the question, “Then I will come back with your meals.” She announces before leaving.

Once she left, Hibiki takes the pitcher of water and begin to fill our glass, putting mine in front of me once done.

Taking a sip, “Does it make you uncomfortable?” seeing Hibiki tilts her head to the side, I follow, “I mean talking about it.”

“I guess it’s just new, I was so used to not talk about it that now that I have the occasion… it seems weird.”

Nodding at her answer, “In this case asking directly ‘when’ is not a good idea, How about… was it before or after joining Section Two?”

“After,” she replies before bringing her glass water to her lips, _‘she is still a bit shy but clearly more at ease at the less intrusive question_ ’ I thought, deciding to not ask for more, _‘no need to rush, I have all day to slowly make her comfortable talking about herself on this subject.’_

“You’re not asking more?” she has a puzzled look.

“Nope, I’m just initiating, then it’s up to you to how much you want to share about it. If I were to ask question after question, it would not be much different from an interrogation. What I want is for you to be comfortable talking about it to the point to be the one initiating one day.”

“I see, thank you for this, Chris. Though, I don’t mind you asking,” her last sentence is accompanied by a smile.

Smiling back at her, “Then last question and we can drop the topic,” I wait for her nod before continuing, “Was it before or after meeting me?” Hibiki’s eyes widen at the question, a good hint as to whether I have played a passive role or not.

Darting her eyes away she manages to ask, “Why would you ask this question specifically, Chris?”

Shrugging I tell her nonchalantly, “Just wanted to know if I was hot enough to plague your mind to the point of making you reconsider your sexuality. Believe me, be responsible for someone thinking they were straight, switching the other way is something to be proud of. Also, you did a whole introduction to me, which was… strange. Even saying you never had a boyfriend, which was even stranger now that I think about it, maybe you abhor deep feelings for me since then,” I smirk.

Hibiki’s reaction was saying absolutely everything to my delight, _‘Oh god, she **does**!’ _her whole face was red from blushing, looking down at the glass she was holding, _‘She really **does** have feelings from me since then, how great is that, maybe I can get more.’_

Any more attempt at teasing and gathering more information was cut short when the waitress comes with our plates, setting them carefully until her eyes lands on Hibiki stubbornly looking at the content of her glass like it was the most interesting thing in the world, before switching to me, a quizzical look on her face.”

“Oh, it’s nothing, just reminding something of the past she surely wishes I would have forgotten,’ I say before taking another sip of water.

The ‘exorcist nods slowly before talking, “if it’s nothing, then it’s good. Both of you enjoy your meals and don’t hesitate to call for me anything happens or need anything,” and with this, the waitress gives us a small bow before departing.

I follow her with my eyes for a moment before they land on Hibiki, still looking down, causing me to sigh, “Don’t you think it would better to eat what we ordered now that’s here.”

Food and Hibiki are two things that will always work together, well I could say the same about myself but, anyway, there is no way that Hibiki could be in whatever mood for long with the prospect of food in front of her.

After saying ‘itadakimasu’ I watch Hibiki takes a spoonful of rice and Mabo Curry, blowing slightly on it to cool it down before bringing it to her mouth.

The moan that follows tells me everything on what she thinks about the dish she chooses, and it encourages me to taste mine, so taking my fork, twirling it in the pasta and picking at a piece of meat as I bring the whole thing to my lips, a moan, probably louder than Hibiki’s left my closed lips and I just kept eating, not caring at the looks I could have attracted with it.

After some more spoonful for Hibiki and forkful for me, Hibiki wordlessly holds her spoon to me, understanding what she wants right away I do the same with my fork, eyed each other for a moment before lunging forward and humming in agreement at the taste of the other dish before resuming or own.

Soon we clear our first plate, leaving us with the specialty of the house; the Crowe’s Special Quiche, Hibiki and I exchange another look before cutting a piece, gulping in anticipation at what kind of taste this simple dish could have to deserve such title.

We put the piece inside or mouth at the same time and the simple taste hitting my tongue almost bring me to an orgasm, I had to clench my thighs together with a hand clenching my dress and the other holding firmly the fork to keep myself together, a look at Hibiki shows me she was not faring better than me as our eyes cross each other, her fork was still between her lips held by one hand while the other disappeared under the table.

The effect of the meal was still lingering on us even despite having already paid a while ago and walked a good distance, well actually Hibiki was the one to pay, saying that since we didn’t have to last time she was unable to uphold her promise to pay for what I ordered.

“That’s quiche was really something, Chris.”

“Definitely, I bet they put something illegal in it, it’s the only reason for something as simple as a quiche could taste this amazing,” I slightly joke while agreeing.

“Right! That’s must be it, we should come back and tried it once more to find out what is in it, investigation purpose of course,” Hibiki says, oddly enthusiastic.

I eyed Hibiki a bit, before deciding to go along with it, “Right, who knows if this café is even legit, it could as well be linked to some hidden organization and that’s is all just a cover.”

“Hmmhmm! The meal they made could be in fact experimentation tested on us, customers, we should also try other dishes to see if they also have any curious effect.” Hibiki nod repeatedly.

I sigh, “Are we really doing this, linking a café with good food to some kind of secret organization with an evil objective.”

“It’s not that far stretched, Chris. Especially when we think about what we fought on a daily basis.”

I blinked, several times, “Damn, you’re right… then we should worry about the fact that I sent our kouhais in that café yesterday.”

Hibiki shakes her head, “It’s too late for them Chris, we should give up on them, only us can do something about it.”

“Whoa… never expected to see the day where you would willingly give up on someone.”

Hibiki just laughs, before giving me a mischievous smile, “There are things you don’t know about me Chris… as much as there are things I don’t know about you either.”

“And I look forward to discovering **all** of them,” I grin at her.

The two of us keep walking toward our next destination, chatting, giggling and laughing while ignoring the stares and curious looks that we attract on our way.

* * *

The shopping center is the second part of our date, an excellent place filled with possibilities, _‘Maybe I will found a nice set of clothes to stay at home,’_ I thought to the memories of Hibiki’s gorgeous figure within her black set.

“What about you, Chris,” Hibiki’s voice pierces through my thoughts.

Turning my head to her, “What about me?”

“When did you find out you were into girls?”

Turning my head and looking in front of me, I put my hands in my pocket as I remind myself of some past experiences, causing a moment of silence to linger as we walk through the galleries.

“Most of my experiences were with guys older than me, having one with a person from the same sex never really crossed my mind until it happens. This experience was by far so much better, that doing anything with a guy afterward kind of repulse me, so I stick to girls since then.” Feeling daring, I pulled Hibiki’s closer to me, my lips near her ear as I whisper, “they were all older woman, so you are the first girl, younger than me that I’m interested with,” before lightly biting the lob of her ear, another daring move I couldn’t stop myself of doing.

Hibiki’s reaction is to pull away from me and putting some distance between us, blushing heavily with a protective hand on the ear I just bite, opening and closing her mouth like a goldfish.

I couldn’t stop myself and begin to giggle at how cute she was, she begins to pout and my heart just melts for her even more, _‘I’m really hopeless when it comes to Hibiki and I’m glad she took it well, really make me wonder just how far I can push.’_

Calming down from my ordeal, Hibiki finally manages to ask, “Chris, you mean you have…” she didn’t or maybe couldn’t finish her question, which is reasonable, after all, talking about your sexuality is not the same than talking about sex, another point I hope to make her comfortable to talk freely too.

“Well, let’s just said it happened early for me,” I reveal, before asking, “Hope, it doesn’t bother you, or make you think less of me,” I couldn’t prevent my voice to falter at the end as I look down at the floor, dreading Hibiki’s reaction and next action.

Unexpectedly, I felt myself being pulled toward her, my head resting against the crook of her neck as one of her hands is on my waist and the other on the back of my head.

“I don’t care about what you did in the past Chris, all I know is the present you and that’s all I care,”

I lean against her fully as I feel my body relax, another weight lifted off my shoulder.

“Also, it mean that I have someone experienced to talk to for advice on this stuff,” I could feel her smiling, and knowing that she’s willing to talk to me about herself on the subject in the future make me feel even better, maybe I should worry that everything is going this smooth.

We stay like this for a moment until I decide that to pull away, as much as I would rather for us to stay like this longer, we are in a public area and are beginning to attract a bit of attention on us, so taking her hand in mine, we resume our stroll in the shopping district.

I did mention about the possibilities offered by this place as well as maybe, find a set of clothes to stay in at home. Well, lets’ just say that I caught from the corner of my eye a familiar set of black clothes worn by the person currently at my side.

“Let’s go there Hibiki, I found something interesting,’ I tell her as I head toward the store, with Hibiki following behind me.

Once in front of the window shop displaying the set of clothes I saw, I confirm it was the same that Hibiki wore, with the orange stripe and all.

“Oh that’s the one bought, did you want to buy it too, Chris?”

“Well, while I was surprised that you owe anything in black at first, you looked really good in it, so I may as well get a set, hope they got my color,” I say, still looking at the set displayed and liking it more and more as imagine the girl by my side in it.

“Only one way to find out,” she declares, dragging me in the store before turning her head to me, “Also, you should know by now Chris. That there are things that people don’t know about me,” she replied with a smirk and a wink that caused my heart to skip a beat as she resumed dragging me as I follow her without resistance.

“And I told you I look forward discovering all of them,” I mutter.

“So, how many girls did you check out until now,” I casually ask while looking for my size.

We found out that the section, while having a black set with crimson red string, that a long-sleeved and pants version was also available, which I wanted to try while Hibiki seems to want me to have the exact same set as her. So while I look into the long-sleeved and pants section Hibiki looks into the shirt and shorts one.

“What’s this all of a sudden, Chris?” she asks me as she peeks out from her side.

“Well, the both of us are in a girls-only school, basically a paradise where left and right is what we desire, depending on our preferences, so you will not make me believe that you didn’t check out anybody since you discover your newfound sexuality, especially when in the changing room for P.E,” I reply while pulling a top to look at it before putting it back, knowing it will be too tight around the chest area.

You see, one of my biggest problem when it comes to clothes, is when I’m actually interested in a matching top-bottom set, either I took the recommend size by my heights but the top is too tight around my chest or I choose based on my cup size and the bottom is too loose.

“I’ve nev-”

“Do I have to remind you that both our class often have P.E together?” I interrupt her with a rhetorical question, before following, “I always felt an intense gaze on me while changing when we do, blaming it on my imagination because of my strange popularity, but now… I bet you were the one ogling every inch of my body.”

I didn’t need to see Hibiki’s face to know that she’s furiously blushing, pretty crazy that now I know she’s gay, I’m able to remember every moment that would have clued me toward this answer.

“So what did you think,” I ask her while looking another top and keeping it on my arm as it was the right size

“About?”

I scoff at how easily she can lose track of our conversation, unless it’s intentional, to see if I will drop the topic or not, “My body of course,” I declare, not passing on it.

She lets out a sigh “You already know what I think of it, Chris.”

“Know that there is nobody that doesn’t like compliments, it always feels good to hear one for oneself. But I will let you off the hook this time since you clearly like it,” I tell after finding another top one size above the other as well as the two bottoms, since they had drawstring in them, the length is all I need to focus on.

Once Hibiki joins me and gave me her sets, we head toward the fitting room with Hibiki sitting nearby to give me her opinion on which set would be better.

Trying on my set first, I realize that the top is a tighter fit than I originally thought and my bra doesn’t help, making me wonder if Hibiki was wearing one under hers at that time, “Ne, Hibiki, Did you wear a bra under the top?” I’ve decided to ask her.

“Nope, the fabric was tight enough that wearing one makes it just uncomfortable.” She casually answers, ‘ _Well, that answers my question to whether she was braless or not, too bad I didn’t notice it.’_

“Are you done yet, Chris?” She asks me once I finish putting the bottom on, choosing the shorter one, since the other was trailing on the floor.

After a look at myself in the mirror inside the room and liking the result, I decide to exit the room to hear Hibiki’s opinion.

Hibiki’s eyes left her phone and were on me the moment I exit, I could feel the intensity of her gaze as she was scanning every inch of my body, “It does look good on you Chris” she begins after looking up and down one more time, “It’s actually cute how the sleeves go past your wrist like with the school cardigan.”

Her remarks cause me to play with the sleeves unconsciously, “But?” I say, sensing one.

“Nothing, it’s really good on you Chris...” she trails out, “But I think the other will definitely be better,” she smiles confidently.

I scoff as I head back inside, “We’ll see.”

“So, me aside, anyone you check out inside our little group?” I ask, resuming our main conversation as I proceed to change the long-sleeved top for the shirt, picking directly the larger of the two.

“I didn’t really check out the other,” she begins.

I pop my head out through the curtain opening as was I still pantless, “And I will say it’s a lie, now that I know you are into girls, I can now affirm that I also felt your gaze on me repeatedly in the showers after a mission, so I’m sure the others were not spared by you,” Thinking for a moment as I go through my memories, “I will say our scythes wielder, you wer-”

“No you’re wrong, I was only looking at you! I’m not interested in the other!” She blurts out, before catching herself and putting her hands in front of her mouth.

I give her an evil grin and wriggle my eyebrows once she makes eye contact with me.

Sighing in defeat she then gives me a small smile, “You did it on purpose Chris, that’s really mean.”

Shrugging, despite knowing she can’t catch the movement with my shoulders hidden behind the curtain, I go back inside, “I admit I may have teased you a bit too much, but know that I already had my little idea about what you may think of me, I’m just checking each of them now, but I’m honestly flattered, after all, I already told you that I’m interested in you, so knowing you are as much make me feel pretty good about myself and it’s not like this little reveal will change anything between us, right?”

“You are right, actually I feel like a weight was lifted off my shoulder once I said it.”

I could see myself smile in the mirror as I pass my legs inside the shorts, opting for the smaller one which fit naturally on my hips, knowing that I just blew up another obstacle standing between us.

“That’s’ just mean you really wanted someone to know about it and while you would surely have wanted not to be the interested one, telling or rather blurting it to me as I accept it without any issue made you feel even better,” I say, checking myself in the mirror with the shirt and shorts set on, noting that the only difference, in the end, is the amount of skin I expose… I roll my eyes, finally understanding why Hibiki wants me to go with this one.

“How would you know it?”

With a last glance in the mirror, I show myself to Hibiki, “Because nobody wants to be the one blamed for wrecking a good relationship,” I say to her with a hand resting on my hip. “And also because I felt the same when I told you about having past experiences,” I add without letting anything shown on my face, “Basically, you avoid telling other something because you either don’t know how they will react, thus fearing for the worst outcome or because you think it’s not important for them to know.”

I sigh when I realize that Hibiki was no longer listening and was ogling every inch my body once more instead, I could see the hunger in her eyes as there were lingering on the exposed part of my body, causing me to chuckle, realizing that making me wear it was her plan all along. “So that’s why you wanted me to wear it so badly…” I shake my head with a soft smile before turning back into the fitting room.

As I close the curtain and give another look at myself in the mirror, I notice Hibiki’s presence in there only when she pulls me against her, her breast pressing against my back as she rests one hand on my hip and the other gently caresses my exposed thigh, causing a pleasurable shiver to run through my spine.

I then felt her breath close to my ear as she whispers, “This one is really perfect on you Chris, also, skin against skin contact makes cuddling even better, while the long-sleeved and pants version looks good too, if you take it, the fabric will be in the way and cuddling less enjoyable.”

Her hot breath was causing me to lose focus of my surrounding, but as her word made their way to my brain I could only think at the time when I rest my head on her exposed thigh when she wore her black shorts, it’s undeniable that the feeling wouldn’t have been the same if my cheek was against the clothes’ fabrics instead of her naked limb.

“You’re right, I will take this one,” I reply absently while panting a little. I couldn’t go against her argument as well as the memories reinforcing it and the hand still caressing my thigh was keeping my mind away from any serious thought.

“Good choice,” she keeps whispering.

“I better no regret it,” I manage to say through my hazed mind.

“Don’t worry, I will make sure you will not regret it, Chris-senpai,” the title was whispered just before she gently bites my earlobe the same way I did to her earlier, Causing me to forcibly pull away from her and leaning against the full body length mirror, panting heavily and legs shaking.

“Payback for earlier Chris. I will wait for you outside, take your time,” she says before leaving the room, I could hear her talking to a clerk, something about a little problem inside but nothing major.

My still shaking legs could no longer support me as let myself slide along the mirror, once my thigh reaches the floor, I lock eyes with my reflected self and I could see them being clouded by lust, my panting creating a thin layer of mist on the mirror and my panties damp by how turned on I was as my heart keep hammering loudly against my ribcage. “That’s some intense payback, Hibiki”, I mutter to myself.

Gulping for air once more, I slowly get back to my feet, change myself as quickly as I could while being thankful I didn’t dirty the shorts, but since I plan on buying it maybe it’s not that important, _‘Damn, though I can’t believe she was to affect this much with just a mere touch and words, I can’t let her have the upper hand on me that easily.’_

When I open the curtain, I give Hibiki my best glare to convey how upset I was while knowing internally that I loved every single bit of her flirting with me, something I certainly didn’t expect from her, at least this soon.

She stands up from her place, walks toward me with a Cheshire cat smile as she points the set I was just wearing on my arm, “So, you really taking it.”

I roll my eyes, as if she really needed to ask, “Your augments were pretty convincing,” I mumble.

“What was that?”

“Nothing! Just help me put these at their place,” I order her around.

“Yes sir,” she answers with a mock salute, before taking her share and rushing toward the section where she took them.

_‘Good, that’s how it should be, me ordering and her following, who knows what would happen to me if I let run wild for too long, especially now that flirting is in her list,’_ I sigh, _‘I also better to get used to it in case I can’t make her stop, just in case.’_

After paying for the matching top-bottom set, we then exit the store and resume our stroll in the galleries.

* * *

“Ahhh… I lost again…” Hibiki was whining as she has yet again, fails to get what she wanted.

After buying the matching set of clothes, Hibiki and I found ourselves in front of a store selling Bubble Tea, Hibiki told me that she always try to have a different flavor each time she buys one, she decides on a Fruit Tea Passion Fruit flavor as I took Lemon flavor.

Then, after strolling once more as we take sips of our drink as well as taking one from the other from time to time, Hibiki’s eye landed on a game center, while not a place planned for the date, I also realize that didn’t plan anything else. Indulging herself, I let her go wild in it while smiling fondly at seeing her happily playing.

She even succeeds in making me play a shooting game with her, needless is to say that she was bad at it and I have to finish the levels on my own, but I suspect she just wanted to see me enjoying myself playing instead of constantly watching her.

“Arggg… How is it possible to fail this much” she groans again after another failure.

After going through some more games, I’m currently watching her fail once more against that dreadful machine I heard so much from my classmates; Crane Machine, unless it’s Claw Machine, they seem to have several names that I don’t know which one is the right appellation.

“Now that’s on my mind, what about you Chris, did you check out other girls in school? Or women in your case?”

Seeing her at ease asking such question actually brought a smile on my face, “Well, not that’s much… Ah! I may have taken a good look at your homeroom teacher from time to time.”

Hibiki’s hand slams a little harder on the button than necessary as her head snaps toward me, “You’re joking Chris. Right?”

I shrug, “Older woman has their own charm Hibiki, you just don’t know it yet” I smirk.

Shuddering at maybe imagining her teacher as anything else than a teacher, she focuses once more on the machine, frowning a bit before looking back at me, “Then, Aoi-san too?”

Cocking my head as to remember who she is talking about, _‘Ahhh, the person that always giving us warm drink when we need it,’_ I thought before nodding, “True, she has a nice figure.”

Hibiki shakes her head at my answer, not like she disapproves or anything but rather as if to say she should have expected that I would say something like that.

She groans again at another failure, “Chrissss, can you help me, please?” Hibiki pleads for my help with her pout, taking its full power before I have time to react and I knew I wouldn’t be able to refuse her.

Sighing, I take her place, as Hibiki points at the location of what she wants, my eyes widen once I have a close look at the machine’s content; plushies, but not any kind of plushie, Noise and Alca-Noise plushies, _‘What kind of degenerate thought that Noise plushie will be goo- Oooh! They have the banana one, this one is for me!’_ Taking the controller in my hand, I direct the claw just above the Noise I set my eyes on before hitting the final button.

My eyes are transfixed as the claw begins its descent, grabs perfectly the banana Alca-Noise before ascending, pulling an extra plushie, a red snake/dragon-like Alca-Noise, reminding me of the special Alca-Noise able to split itself when it takes too much damages. It also makes me wonder how they got the information on this one to make it a plushie, after all, it’s not a regular one.

As I take my double prize from the compartment I turn toward Hibiki with a big smile on my face as she looks at me with big eyes and her mouth hanging open. Tilting my head to the side in confusion at her reaction, I realize that in my excitement to get mine I have completely forgotten what Hibiki wanted me to get for her.

Pushing my prizes against her I turn back to the machine for another try, “Sorry Hibiki, what did you want me to get you already?” I say as I look back at her.

Her eyes were fixed on the red plushie “Can I have this one?” she asks me as she waves the red one at me.

“Are you sure, I just got it by some extra luck you know, I didn’t even try to get it.”

“Yeah, I want this one, I don’t mind how you got it.”

Nodding a bit dumbly, “If you’re okay with it,” I say to her as I pull away from the machine and get back to Hibiki’s side.

She gives another look at her plushie before turning her gaze on the machine, “Though, it’s pretty crazy that’s someone would make plushies of those.”

“Maybe we should report it to HQ and see what happens,” I suggest as Hibiki takes pictures of the machine and its prizes.

“I think we could let it, the threat of the regular Noise is gone and Alca-Noise only appears on enemy motive,” pocketing her phone she then looks at me, waving her plushie with a smile “Also, I think there are people like us that would not mind having their own little Noise plushie, seeing how cute they made them.”

Taking a look at mine, I could only agree with her, after all, she’s the one to have her life completely wrecked by the Noise, so if she can go past it and not minding something that tries to kill her on a regular basis, I think people who never encounter one could look at them as just a regular plushie, plus they sure are cute, at least some.”

I put both plushies in my shopping bag, there are actually big enough to stick out of it, but not too much for passersby to recognize there are Alca-Noise at first glance.

Once outside the game center, Hibiki stretches herself, arms high up before letting them fall by her side and looking at me, “What do we do next, Chris?”

Tilting my head to the side and closing my eyes as I think to something we could do outdoor, _‘Well, honestly, aside from lunch and walking around I didn’t have much of a plan for this date.’_

“Well, we can call it a day and spent the rest of the afternoon lounging around at my apart, what do you think?”

“I’m fine with it,” she says right before we hear her stomach growling, as her face flustered a bit and she brings her hands on her belly, giving me her usual embarrassed look when it happens, “Seem like I’m feeling a bit peckish right now.”

“Then let’s go get something to eat on the way,” I begin walking as Hibiki quickly joins me by my side.

* * *

In our search for something to satiate Hibiki hunger as well as my own, we found ourselves last in line at a crepe selling shop.

“I will go with the Wild Berry-Mix, what about you Chris?”

“Banana-Choco for me,” I answer, this choice having nothing to do with the banana Alca-Noise-plushie I won earlier.

“Shirabe, look, it’s Hibiki-san and Chris-senpai!” The sudden voice startles both me and Hibiki, causing us to turn toward the owner of the voice; the Igalima wielder _‘how this girl can be so energetic is beyond me, I felt like she’s always screaming my name.’_

“Good afternoon, Hibiki-san, Chris-senpai,” the Shul Shagana wielder greet us when they close the distance between us.

“Hi, Kirika-chan, Shirabe-chan,” Hibiki greets both equally while I give them a simple ‘ya’.

“So, why the two of you are together?” the blond-haired girl boldly asks.

Before I have time to found an excuse that my arm was pulled against Hibiki’s chest, “Chris and I are on a date,” her announcement causing me to blink a few time, not certain that I heard her correctly, when I lock eyes with Hibiki, I could see all the mirth in them alongside her mischievous smile, telling me everything I needed to know on what she was doing, _‘Two can play this game.’_

Seeing the shocked face of our kouhais and taking a guilty pleasure in it, I decide to follow on Hibiki as I brought my free hand toward her face and give her a kiss on the cheek before leaning my head on her shoulder, “Like Hibiki said, where are on a date.”

The blond-haired kouhai is the first one to recover, “Wh- wh- what do you mean dating!? What about Miku-san, Hibiki-san?” vehemently asking with the other girl behind her vigorously nodding.

Hibiki tilts her head to the side while still holding me, an obviously fake confused look on her face, “Miku is currently spending the weekend with her parents and I always wanted to go on date with Chris, so I don’t see any problem.

Their looks shift from Hibiki to me, “And you’re okay with this Chris-senpai?” the black-haired kouhai ask me.

This time I’m the one tilting my head to the side in mock confusion, “I don’t see anything wrong with what was said, also I’m the one who invites her… Anyway, Hibiki and I were going to have some crepe, want to join us?”

A look of astonishment was on her face for a moment before both girls turn they back to us, whispering at each other while Hibiki and I exchange a smirk before separating just before our kouhais turn around and accept my invitation with a determined look.

Minutes later, the four of us are seated at a table with a crepe in hand that I agreed to pay for all of us, Hibiki and I on one side and the ZABABA duet on the other, looking at us intensely which both, Hibiki and I ignore while eating our treat.

Taking another bite of my crepe under the intense gaze of these two, I finally decide to break down the silence, “So, you two, did you finish your homework?”

It was a simple question, the answer is either ‘yes’ or ‘no’, but each time I’m asking them, I get those sideways looks that I came to understand as ‘we were going to do them but got distracted’.

Hibiki was already laughing, “Then are you sure the two of you should be having fun right now, you don’t have that much time left to do them, Shirabe-chan, Kirika-chan.”

“What about you Hibiki-san, without Miku-san you surely didn’t begin either,” the twin-tails haired girl argues.

Hibiki gives them a smug look, “I already did all of them on Friday, so I can enjoy the whole day to its fullest.”

““It can’t be…”” Both kouhais say in unison.

“She really did,” I confirm, “I kept telling both of you to do them as soon as you can, especially since we can be called for a mission anytime. Now, look at you having to cut your outing short because of it.”

Their grumbling about training with the old man on Friday on the call for reinforcement on Saturday was ignored as Hibiki nudges me with her elbow, pointing at my crepe to have a bite which I let have one, she then returns the favor by letting me take a bite of hers.

“The two of you really gotten closer senpais.”

I turn my eyes to the pink wielder, swallowing and licking the excess of cream on my lip, “We just had a big talk, something we should have done even before you guys join us. Anyway, both of us talk, work out things weighing on our heart and… here is it.” I tell them as take the last bite of my crepe and wiping my mouth with the napkin.

I don’t let them think much about it, “Shall we get going?” I ask Hibiki when I see her finishing her crepe as well, earning a nod from her.

“Wait, Chris-senpai! Could we, maybe pass at your place to finish our homework?” the green wielder is the one to ask pitifully.

“No can do, I already have a special guest, a cute and adorable kouhai,” I tell them as I stand up, careful as to not forgetting my shopping bag, then looking at Hibiki still on the bench. Before she could notice it, my hand was already on her cheek, wiping a bit of cream on the corner of her lips with my thumb on putting it in my mouth, licking it clean.

Momentarily stunned by my action while Hibiki was simply smiling at it, my words fully reaching them seem to snap them out of it, “Aren’t we, your cute and adorable kouhais, Chris-senpai?!”

Hibiki is the one to answer them as she finally stands up and join me, “I will have to remind you that the two of you aren’t Chris only kouhai,” she says before pulling my arm against me in a possessive manner as we walk away.

“Good luck with your homework, next time follow the advice I’m giving you for months already,” I wave at them as Hibiki and I are on our way to my place.

* * *

“Do you think Kirika-chan and Shirabe-chan will be okay?” Hibiki asks as we walk through the corridor toward my apart.

I stifle a laugh, “With the stunt we pulled on them, they would be lucky enough to get any homework done instead of thinking of us.”

“Yeah, they looked pretty shaken when we left,” she says with a grin.

“You’re telling me, we basically toyed with them, they will surely rack their brains about whether you’re cheating on your roommate or that I’m trying to steal you away from her, while the right answer is neither,” I grin back at her

“Hey, not my fault all of you thought Miku and I were dating,” Hibiki giggles.

“And I accept full responsibilities for my own beliefs and delusions I had on you two,” I say still smiling.

“When I think that asking for the content of the bag never crossed they mind,” Hibiki says as her giggle subdue a little.

“No helping, us together alone, you saying it’s a date with not denying it, how we behaved, we were clearly aiming to draw attention on us, I would have trouble ignoring it too if I were in their place,” I say while reaching for the door of my place.

“Wait, Chris,” Hibiki stops me as I was going to open the door.

“What’s the matter?”

“Could you wait just a minute before entering?”

Puzzled by I request, I nod slowly at her as I step away from the door, she enters first closing the door behind her.

Esteeming it’s already been a full minute, I open the door, take off my heels as well as my coat and hang it on the coat rack beside Hibiki’s. As I make my way in the entrance I saw Hibiki near the couch with her arms behind her back.

“Welcome home Chris,” she suddenly says with one of her brightest smiles.

The moment I hear those words and take in their meaning, my body reacts before my brain had time to form the thought as I felt myself closing the distance between Hibiki and me as I drop the shopping bag before I tackle her, Hibiki yelping in surprise as the both of us fall on the couch, my arms holding her tightly as my head was resting between her chest with Hibiki’s hand resting on my head as she was gently stroking my hair.

I was just overwhelmed by emotions, it’s been so long since someone said those to me that I had forgotten how good it feels to have someone to come home to, when we lived together, Finé and I never missed the chance to say it to each other especially as the opportunities became fewer and fewer with how close she was from her goal.

Realizing I didn’t say anything since I entered the room, I push myself up from Hibiki, straddling her legs as I give one of my best smiles, “I’m home.”

I release a sigh as I unhook my bra, freeing my chest of its restriction before stretching myself a bit by extending my arms above me, working out the kinks of the day out with Hibiki. The both of us weren’t into any mood to do anything special since our return, so we settle to laze around in my bed like this morning, with Hibiki claiming it will be the perfect opportunity for me to wear the set I just bought.

The door of my bedroom open just as I finish putting the bottom on, _‘Too bad for you Hibiki, too late to caught a glimpse of me in my panty or topless,’_ I thought while adjusting my top.

As I hear the door close, I didn’t have the time to turn toward Hibiki that I felt myself being tackled by her, yelping in surprise as we fall on my bed, bouncing on it a bit, I then feel Hibiki crawls on me, her breath brushing my ear, “Payback for earlier,” she whispers softly into my ear causing my whole body to heat up as I bite my bottom lip.

Not accepting to be at her mercy so easily, I wrestle myself out of my current position, taking Hibiki by surprise, managing to reverse of position as I straddle her, “You’re getting awfully cocky and flirty,” I begin but was unable to continue as I was losing myself in Hibiki allure, the tight black top she is wearing not leaving much to the imagination concerning her forms.

“You’re the only one to blame for this Chris,” she grins at me before throwing me off on side of the bed.

What follows is the both us wrestling against each other in a dominating match, unsurprisingly, I end up on my back with Hibiki on top as she straddles me, our breath ragged and slightly flushed from our little physical activity, Hibiki’s arms on either side of my head, pinning mine as her face was hovering mere inches from mine, her eyes clouded a little.

Hibiki then begins to lean toward me and I could feel my heart stop at her action, unable to move I could only wait, eyes open, for her to finally close the distance between our lips, for her to lie down by my side. I close my eyes as to not let too much of my disappointment and shame showing on my face, _‘coward’_ I couldn’t help the thought to travel my mind despite knowing that she wouldn’t go for it despite the mood being set up.

“If I remember correctly, the last question was about my crush, right?”

I open my eyes at her question, fixing the ceiling of the room as I try to connect her words together, and humming in agreement remember what she is talking about.

“Can we begin with yours first?”

Still not looking away from the ceiling as I process her question, I close my eyes a moment before opening them, “Finé was my biggest crush,” I finally say. Earning no reaction from my bedmate, I turn my head to her, “You don’t seem surprised…” I trailed out.

At my words, Hibiki leans on her side, “Well, I already know that you were into older women, so imagining Finé being among them would not be surprising, especially with her look,” she winks at me, “Though, doesn’t mean I’m not curious,” She adds.

I chuckle a bit, “Right, I did tell you that,” I take another deep breath before beginning my little story with Finé “Contrary to what we would think, Finé was not entirely bad, she was my savior at that time. Since the death of my parents, I’ve been going from criminal organizations from another being used, when japan finally manage to get a hold on me, it was only because I was compatible with a relic foremost, then I would have been sent into an endless battle against the Noise because I will have the power to fight them. When I met Finé, she was the first person to actually ask me what I wanted, she may have manipulated me into it, but at least, I can say it was my decision to going with her at that time. Well, the whole homeschooling and training were hard and a bit intense at first but since it was as much for her as for myself; I get into the rhythm pretty fast.” I close my eyes, reminiscing into the memories of my first encounter with Finé as well as the time spent together during the first weeks, “Maybe because she was the only person I spent a lot of time with, but despite our relationship of using each other for our goal, feelings for her began to grow, and being confident when it comes to older women, I try seducing her,” I say, looking at Hibiki with a knowing smile.

Her attention was already peaked by my tale, but now that I reach what she wants to hear I could see that’s she was eager to hear even more.

“Well, no real surprise but I failed, she totally busted me off. Still, our relationship didn’t suffer in any way, she even took extra care to use my attraction to her against me; walking around the mansion naked more often, teasing me a lot by flaunting her body to me when she had the occasion or was in the mood for it, honestly, I can’t count the number of time she left me a horny mess and I had to relieve myself to think straight again…” I let out a sigh before laughing a bit “I even tried again when I saw her coming home more and more stressed, saying she could use me to blow off some steam… While I did mean it as a slight joke, I was certainly not going to object when she accepts it on a whim,” I shake my head at the memory of what followed after, “I was honestly not ready for what she had in store for me, my body as well as my mind… in the end, I was left a twitching and quivering mess barely able to think,” I begin to rub my thighs together to the memories and I could see Hibiki doing the same, surely imagining me being dominated by Finé, and I had to refrain myself from putting a hand straight in my panties and beginning rubbing myself at the sight, so instead I take my focus on the story once more, “But it was just meaningless sex, sometimes, mind-blowing sex but still meaningless, just letting Finé using my body to decompress and me getting along with anything she wanted to do.”

We stay in silence for a moment, both of us gratefully taking in as it let us both calming down from our mutual aroused state.

Hibiki is the one to break the silence, once both our minds were no longer plagued by sexual thoughts, “Do you miss her?”

“Yes, I do,” those words leave my lips easily, “Like I said, Finé was not entirely bad. I mean she took care of not revealing to me her true objective, betraying me in front of all of you guys and even destroying the mansion alongside every memory we had together in it… However you look at it, she was making me out to be another victim/pawn in her plan.”

“Maybe it was her way to show you how much she cared about you… She may have planned to manipulate you at first, but the time the two of you spent together caused her to change her mind, she didn’t want you to fall for or alongside her,” Hibiki theorizes.

“Of course I know that…” I confirm Hibiki’s, “If all she cares about was her objective and only it, she would have kept me by her side until the end, just by doing this she would have successfully destroyed the moon with the first shot of Kadingir,” I pause as I let my mind wander on more moment spent with Finé, “You know, she was always saying stuff about how humans could only connect with each other through pain, that expecting them to reach the same understanding through love is just stupid and foolish, and that if the both of us wanted to accomplish our goal, we should not let matters of the heart hinder our judgment…” I scoff after uttering those words, “Ironically, her true goal was based on love, our mutual pain from being unjustifiably robbed from loves one brought us together at first, but it didn’t stop us to form a bond over something else, whatever it was… And when she had everything she needs to finally accomplish her thousand years-long goal, she ultimately failed at it because of the same matter of the heart she warns herself so much.” I finish slightly frustrated.

Hibiki stay silent for a moment and I’m grateful for it since it let me time to calm myself, she finally speaks when I’m calmer, “Maybe it’s what Finé wanted,” I turn my head to her, prompting her to continue, “that bond the two of you create over time was stronger than the one build over mutual pain, setting you free would have been as much for her than for you, Finé was wavering with you by her side so she tried to sever it, but at the same time, she couldn’t leave you without some kind of insurance. Finé really loved you, Chris.” Hibiki says the last part with a soft smile.

Hibiki’s words reignite even more memories of my time spent with Finé, causing the dam that I put up since I begin talking about Finé to break as I could feel my tears starts to flow out.

As I desperately try to make them stop without success, I was pulled into a hug and I quickly latch out my arms around Hibiki, nuzzling against her chest as I stop my struggle, sobbing freely against her, “She didn’t even say goodbye to me,” I let out between sob, “I don’t care she didn’t want to risk revealing our relation, I would have even accepted a snarky comment or an insult as one, hell, just anything at this point but she said nothing, it was her last moments and I didn’t even say anything to her either.”

Hibiki’s hand was going through my hair as she gently strokes them to comfort me, “You were crying for her, Chris, just this tells more than any word you could have said at that time, Finé saw them and knew that she was loved and would be missed.”

Hibiki’s words actually manage to make me feel better, I tighten my embrace around her which she reciprocates as her hand never stops stroking my hair.

Once my sobbing stops and manages to whip out my tears with the blanket, I release a pleasant sigh, my embrace far looser than before and Hibiki’s body heat against me was heavenly and it seems like I was not the only one enjoying our close proximity because Hibiki’s legs were brushing against mine and the next moment, with my cooperation, our legs were intertwined with each other with absolutely no hurry to separate them.

“You know, I initially wanted to quit,” I say after a moment.

Hibiki jerks her head away from me at my word, eyes wide in shock as I look at her, “What do you mean, Chris?”

“Well, since I was, as expected charged of nothing, I originally planned to leave the whole Symphogear stuff behind, giving back the relic to Section Two and enjoying a simple highschool student life since I was authorized, something quite new for me. But the old man, while not against it wanted me to keep the relic on me, with the increase of Noise outbreaks, he thought the extra help would be needed or just simply in case I was near the area where one would occur.”

Hibiki furrows her eyebrows as she lays her head back on the bed, still looking at me, “I never notice, you always have been with us on each of our mission since you join.”

I tap lightly her nose with my forefinger while smiling softly, “That’s because the two of you really sucked at working together, honestly, when Finé told me about it I thought she was exaggerating, but when I read the reports since you joined,” I shake my head, “she really wasn’t joking, I think that you and I actually worked better together that one time when you saved me and fought that big group of Noise than you two before meeting me, I can’t believe the true teamwork you two manage to pull off was that time I came because the transponder the old man gave me wouldn’t stop ringing.”

“Wait, you’re saying that we can read others’ reports?” Hibiki asks, bewildered as she tries to straighten herself but to be brought back by my side as I still had a hold on her before glaring at her, making her understand that she is not allowed to get up.

“I’m not even surprised that you wouldn’t know about this, even by now. But yes, our missions are archived with our own reports as well as a general one, yesterday’s mission as well, how do you think the pipsqueak did get the info about your case fusing with Gungnir and your miracle stone.”

Hibiki’s eyes drop a bit at my words, since I don’t want her to feel down over something trivial like this, I gently put one hand on her cheek, and make her look at me again, “Anyway, it’s why I stay at first, then the whole Solomon Cane stealing with a supposedly reincarnated Finé happened and sitting myself out of it while it was my responsibility didn’t sit well with me, also your own situation certainly didn’t help.

Hibiki’s hand cupped mine as she leans into it, closing her eyes a moment to relish in the contact before opening once more, “Yeah… I remember when I woke up, I was told that I was saved from Gungnir but I had lost the mean to fight, I was already struggling to accept the fact I could no longer fight with you and then Tsubasa tells me that you betrayed us, which honestly I couldn’t wrap my mind around it.”

“Yeah… I didn’t really think it through at that time, after seeing you being swallowed by the Shénshòujìng light in your fight against your childhood friend, I knew that while you will be fine thanks to it, but it’s also meant that we lost a fighter in our rank. Getting myself on their side to act on the inside was the best solution I came up, shooting senpai in the back was convincing enough,” I begin before frowning a bit and sighing, “In the end what I got was a bomb around my neck, a stubborn senpai wary of me despite having taking extra care of shooting her where she will be able to recover fast and you bringing one of the enemies on our side,” I let out a frustrated sigh, “Honestly if it wasn’t for me getting my hands on the Solomon Cane in the end, I would say that everything I did was useless and caused more trouble than anything,” Before Hibiki has the time to argue that I shift my thumb to her lips.

Hibiki stays silent and I distract myself by gently caressing them, enjoying the softness of her lips against my thumb. Realizing that I was acting far too intimate with her, I withdraw my hand from her cheek, the thumb toying with her lips following as I lay my back on the bed, managing to leave my legs still intertwined with Hibiki’s.

After another moment of silence, I seize the opportunity to tell Hibiki something I should have told her already a long time, “Thank by the way,” glancing at her from the corner of my eyes, I could her confusion at my words, “I mean you, trusting me during the frontier Incident.”

Hibiki just smile before closing the small distance I created, pulling my arm close to her as it ends up between her breast as she links our fingers together with one hand and nuzzling against my shoulder, “I will always trust you, Chris, no matter what,” the happiness caused by her words shouldn’t be legal, I had to restrain myself for jumping on her and sucking the life out of her with a deep kiss when we didn’t even kiss, yet. Instead, I’ve decided to give her hand another squeeze and muttering a ‘thank’.

Another comfortable silence took place, being broken by Hibiki’s question, “So, after the Frontier Incident and the sealing definitive of the Noise, everything would have been set for you to quit, so why did you stay?”

“Well, by this time the two of you were already used to my presence and then I got the extra duty of taking care of our two new kouhais. I certainly couldn’t have left those two reckless girls with someone that could be as reckless as them, the report of your first mission together sadly prove me right, the enemy barely did anything and despite being three against one it got away easily.”

“Yeah, it was really not my best moment,” Hibiki says sulking a bit, her hold on me loosening up.

Noticing it as well as her mood, I shift on my side, squeezing Hibiki’s hand that had my fingers interlaced with hers as I bring the other to the top-side her head, gently, “Hey, it’s okay, you were hurt and had other things on your mind when the old man asks you, so it’s not surprising you were not able to fight like usual, the other two weren’t better either, honestly, we will not have sent you together if we didn’t have no other choice,” I try to reassure her without much of an effect “Tough, I read that you sent plenty of Alca-Noise crashing against the ceiling, poor them, if only they could read the mood, they would have known it was better to flee than facing the might of a merciless fist.”

I knew I got what I wanted when Hibiki starts giggling, bringing her head closer to mine as our forehead rest against one another, “Feelings better?” I softy mutters, earning a hum as he nods her head a little as answer.

After another moment spends in silence, I finally decide to ask her “While I did divert a bit, I told you about my crush. Mind telling me yours?”

Hibiki’s face became unsure at my words, her eyes darting away before hesitantly landing on me again, “I’m not sure if I should really tell you about it…” she says after a moment.

I squeeze her hand to reassure her, “It’s fine, I will just say one more thing, hoping it will change your mind about your insecurities,” I begin, “Well, you already know that I’m interested in you right?” I continue once I receive a nod from Hibiki, “The truth is that I have passed the phase ‘being interested in you’ a long time ago and it had become a huge crush for a while now.” I confess.

Hibiki’s eyes widen, her mouth gaping like a fish as she tries to find her words, before giving up on it and dropping her head to avoid my gaze “I’m not sure what I’m supposed to say,” she lets out while fidgeting a bit.

Her words brought a smile on my face and because it’s easier following with this kind of response than being flat out rejected, even if I was confident she wouldn’t, sliding my hand from her head, I slowly bring it to her chin, lifting it with my thumb and forefinger to make her lock eyes with mines, “You don’t have to say anything, it was not a confession or like I was asking you out, while I would certainly not mind if the two of us come to date, but I don’t think it’s worth risking what we just manage to build over the weekend because of it right now. So, just take it as a compliment.” I smile softly.

“A compliment?”

“Yeah, me telling you having a crush on you would basically be the same as telling you that you’re gorgeous and beautiful,” my two compliments make her blush and while I would love nothing more but watching her in this state, I still didn’t tell her what I really need to, “You shouldn’t bothering yourself with extra thought like me trying to seduce you, yet. But what I want you to know is that you will receive no judgment from me. The same way Finé’s behavior didn’t change after knowing my feelings for her, I want you to know that you can expect the same treatment and that’s our current relationship will not change.”

She’s seems considering my word, a good thing but a little extra push can’t hurt, “Also, I want to be that person for you,” I continue seeing Hibiki’s look, “You clearly opened up to me more than anybody else since this morning, telling me things that you surely kept bottle up inside you for a long time. So while I’m sorry to, maybe pushing and tricking you into revealing those secrets, I’m glad you did and I also want you to keep doing it as it’s as much a way for me to make it up to you as well as repaying your faith in me.”

Taking in what I just said, “I just don’t want to bother you with my problems Chris,” she says softly.

“And I’m telling you it’s what I want, today was, **is** amazing, since the beginning of the weekend, we learn new things about the other, our relationship is a hundred times better than what it was previously and all it took for this to happen was for me to stop acting like an idiot and you working out the same courage you have for fighting into talking. You also told me that you felt better once admitting it during our shopping, so I don’t want you to suddenly stop because you think you will bother me, which you don’t.”

“But, I really don’t want our relationship to revert to what it was before because of something I could say,”

I sigh rather loudly before glaring at her a bit and grabbing her chin a bit more firmly, causing her to flinch, “Listen up, we both told each other being into girls, older women for me, that I had sex pretty early, who we check out including us and my crush on Finé as well as you. Did any of those things change your opinion of me or make you uncomfortable to talk about it?”

She shakes her head negatively, “No, I was actually happy that you were comfortable to talk about yourself to me, but-”

“Hey! I’m the one with the heaviest baggage here, so if you can be fine with me, despite everything I did in my life and saying stuff like ‘my past is not important, only my present is’ while looking at me straight in the eyes, I don’t see why you can’t believe in the fact that I can accept you for who you are including your secrets the same way you do for me, don’t you trust me?” I ask pleadingly.

“I trust you, Chris!” She quickly answers before continuing, her voice dropping more with each word, “I really do… it’s just…”

“Then trust me on this, I came to term with myself a long time ago, so telling stuff to other doesn’t bother me anymore if asked, but it’s not the same for you, you keep to yourself anything concerning you deeply, hell, we didn’t know about your family circumstances in detail until they suddenly caused you trouble and couldn’t hide it,” Hibiki bites her lips, surely remembering the time when her father coming back in her life influenced during her mission with the girls, “I will say it to you once more. There is nothing you could tell me that will make me think less of you, I will even add that I can’t help you if you don’t talk to me about it.”

“Helping me?”

“In accepting who you are, how to vent when you are angry, sad or just plainly frustrated, you always put on that smile for the others even when you don’t feel like smiling, you don’t have to, It’s okay to not always feeling well, it’s because that you often put on that smile that we realize something is wrong with you only when you crumble, let’s us at least be here for you the same way that you are always are here for us one way or another.”

Hibiki eyes were glazing over a bit, her lips slightly open to my words, she then gently takes my hand holding her chin before putting it against her cheek, nuzzling into it a bit as she closes her eyes. Releasing a sigh she looks at me, “You’re right, I’m just so used to smile as to not worry everyone about me so that I don’t have to lie when they ask me if I’m fine when I’m not, but now I realize that’s just the same as pushing all of you away.”

I close the gap between us, closing my eyes as I lean my forehead against hers, “You can’t keep going like this, I know that your childhood friend helps you most of the time but there will be times when she wouldn’t be around or things that you won’t want to talk, even with her. It’s fine if you don’t want to rely on everyone with everything but at least do it with me, drop the act when you’re down, feel free to be angry, sad or whatever because someone who doesn’t have problems doesn’t exist in this world so just take it easy when I’m around okay? I’m not saying this as a senpai who has to take care of her kouhai, but as a friend who is worried about you.”

“Okay. Thank Chris.”

“You’re welcome.”

“Can we stay like this just for a bit longer?”

“Well I was going to propose that we have some of your hot chocolate to cheer you up but I guess it can wait a bit,” I say with a coy smile, opening one eye to see her expression.

She scoffs at it before locking eyes with me, “Let’s snuggle a bit, then I will make it, deal?”

“Deal.”

Hibiki was moving around the kitchen, preparing my now new favorite beverage, _‘I surely will miss the treat when she’s not around, maybe I should ask for the recipe, would be nice if I could make it for her from time to time,’_ the thought passes my mind while I was sitting on the other side of the counter on one of my barstool, my head resting on the counter as I watch Hibiki on her task, my eyes falling repeatedly on her ass as I relish in the contact of the cool counter against my cheek.

“So, how long should I wait to know who your crush is and maybe helping you with?” I ask her absently, not really expecting an answer.

“You,” the words were said flatly, causing me to lift my head from the counter, not really sure if I understood what she means.

Hibiki must have caught on it because she turns to me, leaning her back against the other counter with her hand on the edge, “I have a crush on you, Chris, so helping should be easy.”

“YES!!!” I throw both arms in the air in cheer before pointing a forefinger at her, “I knew it I was the one to turn you gay!” I say with a grin.

Her surprised expression didn’t last long before she releases a resigned sigh as she shakes her head, “You totally did, I never gave much thought about it before meeting you, then I realize that was looking forward to seeing you again and befriending you, despite the both of us being enemy at that time.”

I hum at her confession, “I certainly didn’t expect to leave such a strong impression on you, especially with how I was treating you back then.”

Hibiki turns back toward the kitchen, “Compared to what I got in the past, it’s was not that bad. Though why you were like this with me did cross my mind more than once.”

“Oh, this. Well back then I pretty much hated you,” I say flatly as I rest my chin on a hand and begin tapping a familiar tune with the forefinger of the other.

“Huh?” Hibiki’s head and upper body snap in my direction, “It was the first time we met each other so why?”

“For you maybe, but in my case, Finé wouldn’t stop talking about you ever since she met you, saying things about you being a special and unique case never seen before, I even saw her office covered in photos of you everywhere when I brought her breakfast. I honestly thought she was trying to replace me with you at that time, so I was pretty mean to you right of the bat, and I guess I just got used to it to the point of keeping even after knowing what Finé was really after, sorry about that,” I end up apologizing

“It’s ok I don’t mind,” I frown at her, her answer disregarding her own feelings not pleasing me, especially not so long after our conversation.

“I mean not anymore, we can’t change the past but I’m currently happy with how things turn out,” she says, blushing a bit while scratching her cheek.

We spent the next few minutes in silence as she finishes making the hot chocolate.

“Still, the dashing hero falling for the sexy villainess,” I muse, “too bad I was blinded by my jealousy to notice it, otherwise I could have easily seduced you using my body,” I say with a smirk.

It earns me a chuckle, “I doubt that would have been enough to pull me to your side,” she shakes her head while fillings the two mugs.

“You’re right, I would have at least needed a bathtub filled with white rice and me naked in it while holding a bowl and a pair of chopstick.”

Hibiki adopts a pensive look as she hands me my mug, before shaking her head negatively, “the picture is appealing but it would be a waste of good rice so I will have to say no,” she replies as she used her forefinger to form a cross.

We both chuckled at the idea as we move toward the couch, sitting close to each other as if we could no longer bear the possibility of leaving a gap between us anymore. As we take simultaneously a sip of the beverage we release a content sigh as we feel the warmth spreading inside our body.

“Ne Chris, What does make us in the end?” Hibiki asks with her gaze fixed on the content of her mug.

“Well, I will say friends at least,” I answer pensively.

Hibiki leans her head on my shoulder for a bit before talking, “Do friends actually are clingy to each other, feeding one another and got intimate with them?”

“Well, when you think about it, we are two girls, who like girls, who also admit to having a crush on the other while not willing to risk anything by dating each other, so I will say we are a pretty rare case. Also, you were already all this with your childhood friend so I don’t see any problem with it.”

“I feel like I’m beginning to know the real Chris and discovering myself at the same time.”

“Maybe we could somehow start over,” I say absently, looking at what was left of my hot chocolate.

Moving away from me, Hibiki set her eyes on me, “Starting over?”

“Yeah, visibly the person we thought we knew all along was nothing but a mask, that behind it, my kouhai is someone really sensitive, with her own problems, love hug, cuddle and snuggle, has a crush on me and sure know how to flirt or maybe is a natural at it… clearly far from the pure and innocent girl I thought she was,” I list, smirking at the last remark.

“And that my senpai is, in reality, a really shameless, sexual person who knows who she is, and if it were not for her leaning toward older women, she would have already built a harem at school, a far cry from the girl constantly complaining at any show of affection,” Hibiki says, equally smirking at me.

Musing over for a bit, “maybe I should,” I grin seeing Hibiki’s surprised face before continuing, “I don’t have much time with graduation approaching but with my already established group of admirers, it shouldn’t be too difficult to build one… Should I begin with the kouhais of my club? Ah, but I would need a main girl though…” I mutter the end as I tilt my head to the side, eyes closed.”

“A main girl?”

Hibiki’s question snaps me out of my musing, “Yeah, a main girl, the thing in a harem is that everyone is in competition for the affection of the center often leading to conflict between them, the main girl is basically the one the girls acknowledge as the ‘official’ girlfriend of the center, while the center provides affection and love to all of them, she is the one who makes everything work otherwise the center would be tear apart between them, something I would like to avoid.”

Hibiki just hums at the explanation.

Entertain by the situation, I push further, “You will be a perfect choice.”

“Me, How?”

“Well, you are known to be one of my closest kouhai, known by all my clubmates and some of my classmates, if someone tries to pick on you I know you will be able to handle yourself… but there is also a fundamental reason as to why it should be you.”

“Which is…?”

“Well, my dear, adorable and cute kouhai,” I begin teasing her, “my attention will be split between all the girls so it means that my free time will be reduced in accordance, making hanging out with you almost impossible and days spent like that even more… unless you become the main girl, then you will get priority over everyone else.”

“I wouldn’t mind if it gives me the possibility to spend more days like this with you Chris… But at the same time, it would mean that I’m competing with the girls actually in love with you, and occupying this spot while I’m not would be unfair to them… But I also really don’t want you to give them too much attention…”

Hibiki kept pondering over it finishing the rest of her beverages but still not coming with an answer while I could do nothing but to jump happily internally at Hibiki’s words. Leaving a bit more time as I finish the content of my mug, I stand up from the couch, taking Hibiki‘s empty mug as I head to the kitchen, “Don’t think too much of it, I was not serious about it,” I tell putting an end to the situation I create.

“Huh? You weren’t?”

“Of course I wasn’t. A harem is certainly the last thing I need, especially with all the mission with S.O.N.G I would have to justify to them. Even if now it’s a public organization, I certainly don’t want to stand out in this way.” I tell her while putting the mug in the sink and filling them with water, “Also I would surely never hear the end of it once senpai knows about it.” I mutter to myself.

“If you weren’t serious, why asking me to be the main girl?”

Leaning back against the sink, I can see Hibiki was resting her arms and chin on the back of the couch as she stares at me, “Just to see your reaction to it,” I playfully answer with a bashful smile, “Who would have known that you could be possessive to the point of denying other people their chance at love,” I add before walking back to her.

“I can’t help it, the thought about you being intimate with other girls made me jealous,” she defends herself and giving me that adorable pout.

“That’s cute,” the words leave my mouth before I could catch them but I didn’t mind, she kept looking at me as I came closer to her with me looking down at Hibiki and her looking up to me to my unexpected pleasure, _‘So it’s how it would feel if I were taller than her, not bad…’_ Ignoring the thought I cup her face with both hands looking at her tenderly, “I honestly found the thought of you wanting me for yourself alone really cute and flattering,” I say before giving her a peck on her forehead.

Hibiki leans into my touch as she closes her eyes, both hands gently seizing mine and rubbing the back with her thumbs, “Doesn’t it make me selfish?”

“And what’s wrong with that?”

Opening her eyes, I notice her slight discomfort, “Well, since we aren’t dating or anything I don’t think I have the right to,”

“Who cares about that, ultimately I’m the one to call the shots, if I found your behavior troublesome I will just tell you, and if others girl call you out on that, it’s just mean they feel threatened by you and don’t have any confidence in themselves… could also be jealousy. But you really don’t need to worry, after all…” I lean toward her until my lips are close to her ear, “You are the only girl I’m interested in, others are nothing compared to you,” I say in a husky voice before licking her ear, earning a small whimper and me wanting nothing more than kissing her and making her mine.

Leaning back to meet Hibiki’s eyes, I notice a small blush on her face while she unknowingly bites her bottom lip, “How about we go back to bed for some more cuddle and snuggle?” I ask her, already knowing her answer to it.

Hibiki’s face beams at my words, “Always!’ getting away from my touch she climbs the back of the couch, feet landing by my side before taking one of my arms and dragging me toward the bedroom.

Once we cross the door, Hibiki quickly has her arms around my waist before I’m being thrown on my bed, while surprised I manage to not let my voice out this time when I meet the mattress, I hear the door being closed before I feel Hibiki’s body on my side and giggling as she put one arm across my back.

What follows is another struggle of me trying to put Hibiki on her back and Hibiki doing the same still laughing happily, this time I’m the one on top, straggling Hibiki’s hips as I held both of her wrists at the side of her head as she is panting and trying to catch her breath from laughing for so long.

Her eyes glazing over, making her even more seductive as I struggle to keep myself in check and doing something inappropriate to her without her consent.

I decide on the best course of action of falling to her side to quell the desire of having my way with her, but she quickly latches out on me intertwining our legs together with my cooperation, her arms holding me close to her so our chests pressing against the other as she snuggles her head into my neck before releasing a pleasant sigh causing goosebumps as I feel her breath on my neck as I close my eyes, relishing in the moment.

Staying like this for a good while, Hibiki is the one to break the silence, “See Chris, skin to skin is better for cuddling,” she says as brushes my legs to prove her point.

“And it’s because I agreed to it that I bought this set.”

“So, no regrets?” she asks me with a knowing smile I could feel, despite my closed eyes.

“No regrets. But you know, based on that as well as personal experience, cuddling naked is even better,” Hibiki’s answer was to groan, causing me to chuckle, “Don’t worry, the day the two of us would end up in my bed naked is the day you say farewell to any possibility in finding someone because I would give you so much pleasure that I will ruin you for anybody else,” I say confidently.

Hibiki lets out another groan, “Please, don’t joke about it, Chris.”

I smirk, “Know that I’m very serious, either it’s because you want me to be your first time or just curious about it, I guarantee you that’s you will not go looking for someone else after I’m done with you.”

Our little moment was interrupted by the buzzing of a phone on the bed, we quickly break apart in order to find the little items lost between the bedsheet and blankets fold, as I look for mine first, I found it on my nightstand meaning that its Hibiki’s we are looking for.

“Ah, got it. No worry, it’s just a reminder to pack up my stuff before leaving, I will do it really quickly,” she utters before getting out of the bed while I stay on it.

I lay down on my back, my head hovering at the edge of the bed as my eyes follow Hibiki moving around in the room gathering her stuff until she was kneeled in front of her bag, putting them in it.

Hibiki keeps ordering her stuff in her bag as she pulls things out and put others in, “maybe I better change,” she mutters to herself.

My eyes widen once I registered her words and I quickly roll over my stomach as I saw Hibiki standing up her hands already brought to the hems of her top. I keep my eyes transfixed to where her hands were as she begins to lift her top revealing the skin under it before stopping, before I have the time to wonder why she suddenly stops in the middle of the action that Hibiki let go, the top falling back to its original position, hiding once more the small portion of skin exposed as she turns around, a hand on her hip.

Lifting my eyes from her hips I met hers, a smug was plastered on her face as she had caught me openly staring at her, “While I knew you like my butt since you told me this morning, I didn’t expect that it gets so much attention, is it really that good?” she asks me, looking behind her to gauge her own asset.

“It is…” I casually answered, “While I never got a good feel of it, I can still say it is to my taste, and since you’re still growing it will only get better with time.”

“I would actually rather have a bigger chest, honestly,” she says eyeing her own.

I snort as I roll on my back, “The only reason you say that is because you don’t know how much of a pain they actually are, the bigger they are the worst the back pains are if you don’t have the necessary muscles to support them, they get easily in the way during P.E and other physical activities I’m actually grateful that Ichaival allows me to stand still, aim and fire at will, but I still need to work around them when fighting and like you saw today, I can’t buy a matching set as such because the top and bottom of the recommended size fit only one part of my body,” I finish listing some of my issues.

Hibiki considers my word because after another look at her own chest she says, “Maybe there are not so bad, after all.”

“Believe me when I say there are perfect for you, you got enough for not being called flat and at the same time, not too big as to hinder your training or fighting style, because I can tell you that the gear doesn’t offer much into constricting them. Honestly, the reason why I don’t despise them and maybe also proud of my size is because some women were really fond of them…”

“Rather than the general idea, I want to know what you think of them, Chris.”

“Ho! I like them, while I can see and understand the appeal of a big chest, I would prefer one that fits in my hand rather than one that will spill out.”

Hibiki hums softly, “So I’m safe in this department,” I hear muttering, surely thinking I wouldn’t catch it.

Our eyes meet each other and she quickly sat by my side, “Sit with me, Chris, I want to take a photo with our matching set,” she tells me while holding her phone.

Complying to her demand, I straighten myself before turning around to sit next to Hibiki, she then pulls me into a half hug as she takes the first photo, soon following by dozens from different angles and positions.

“I think this one is the best, would make a good wallpaper for my lock screen what do you think Chris?” Hibiki shows me the one where she is kissing me on the cheek.

I take her phone to take a closer look before getting up to retrieve my phone and sitting back beside Hibiki as I send them all to myself and setting the one where she kisses me as lock screen wallpaper, “and here deleted,” before deleting the original from Hibiki’s phone.

Before she could say anything I take her in a one-arm huge as I kiss her back on the cheek while taking the photo and showing it to her, “The last one looks good, but I think this one would be better for you,” I tell her before handing her phone back.

Hibiki looks at her phone for a moment before making the operations to set the photo as her lock screen and showing it to me, which I reciprocate. Both of us smiling at each other.

“Now I can change clothes,” Hibiki jumps off the bed.

“Why changing though?”

“I want to leave those clothes here for the next time I come.”

“Hmmm… Already planning on dropping regularly, I see.”

“Yep, and I know you love it so don’t bother trying to make me think otherwise,” Hibiki says with a knowing smile.

I shake my head before returning her smile, “I do,” I answer her honestly ignoring Hibiki’s attempt on teasing me.

Hibiki laughs bashfully with a small blush while scratching the tip of her nose, “It’s a bit embarrassing when you admit it.”

“We share far more embarrassing by now, so something as simple I admitting that I enjoy your company is really nothing, especially when I was the one to invite you to stay here in the first place,” I state.

We share a small laugh until I notice Hibiki patiently looking at me, as if waiting for something causing me to tilt my head to the side slightly to show my cluelessness to what she could want.

“Are you going to stay here while I’m changing?” she finally asks shyly.

“Well, if you decide to strip in front of me, you can be certain I will ogle you as much as I can, the same way I bet you would if our situation were reversed, also it didn’t stop me before.”

Hibiki ponders a bit on it before she turns her back to me, sliding her thumb inside the waistband of her bottom before slowly dragging it down, exposing to my surprise dark red panties, then turning her head to me as she gives me a seductive smile before entirely pulling down her bottom and stepping away from it.

While the absence of the short bottom doesn’t show that much more compared to before, I could feel my throat getting suddenly dry, my hands clenching the edge of the bed in tight fists I as I keep looking at Hibiki’s bare legs, who has now her hands on the hem of her top as she slowly lifts it, revealing skin inch by inch until she turns around before she could expose her bare breast to me.

Letting the top fall just where the matching bottom was, Hibiki face me once more, an arm across her breast, covering them and the other on her hip, striking a seductive pose, begging me to take her right here right now and make her mine. Struggling as to not doing something impulsive and barely succeeding, I stay still.

“So… What do you think… Chris-senpai?”

Something in her voice as well as in her gaze, the whole with the title that I recently discover turn me on when she is the one saying it makes me snap. No longer able to take it, I push myself from the bed, close the distance between Hibiki and me faster than I thought possible before sneaking a hand behind her neck as I bring her down into a kiss.

The softness of her lips against mine is the first thing I notice, the contact was just heavenly and I didn’t want to part way from them until I realize she was not responding to it, striking fear into my whole being at the thought that I’m taking advantage of her.

As I quickly pull away from her, I didn’t have the time to utter a single word of apology as my head was moved back toward Hibiki, our lips crashing together as we renew in another kiss this time with her reciprocating it causing me to melt into it.

Craving more and not letting go of her lips, I push her into her back slam against the wall causing her to groan into the kiss while my tongue was already running across her lips, asking for entrance which was quickly granted as Hibiki moans into the kiss before our tongue meet each other inside her mouth, the taste of hot chocolate we had before still lingered inside her mouth as we swapped saliva, moaning as her tongue was inside my mouth exploring it before returning inside her own as my tongue follows hers once more, swallowing the mixture of our saliva as to not drown into it or wasting it by letting drop on the floor.

Hibiki’s moaning and whimpering increases as I push my tongue deeper into her mouth, only when I reach a bit too far that I realize that I let myself being swallowed too much into the kiss and was losing control over the length of my tongue.

Retracting it quickly inside my mouth to stop the kiss, Hibiki and I were left panting heavily, a string of saliva linking our lips until its snap, Hibiki leaning against the wall as I held her by her hip because I could tell that her legs were in no state to support her if I let go of her, completely dazed eyes with a blissful smile on her face with a bit of saliva drooling on her chin were urging me to dive for another kiss but I restrain myself.

“Wow… That was amazing Chris,” Hibiki manages to say between pant and gulp of air.

Confident in myself I lean a little closer, “That’s just the beginning, there is more in stock for you if you’re willing,” I tell her in a husky voice.

Gulping for air once more, “I… I-” what she was about to say was interrupted by the ringtone of her phone, causing our eyes to simultaneous land over the treacherous item. As our eyes met again I decide to tempt my chance for more.

“I leave you three choices, Hibiki,” I begin not trying to hide the lust in my eyes as well as in my voice, “One, you answer the phone and we stop here knowing that next time, we will go all the way with no chance of stopping. Two, you answer the phone, tell whatever excuse you want and come back to me for more. Or three, we ignore the call and I will play with your body like a violin, giving you so much pleasure until you forget your own name,” the last choice was whispered directly in her ear, Hibiki whole body shuddering in my arms as I lean back to see her current expression, with a few seconds before the call was sent to the answering machine, Hibiki has little time to choose between the two first option.

In the end, Hibiki signals me to step back so she can take the call, which I reluctantly did as I watch her take the phone on the bed and answering the call after showing me who the caller was; Kohinata Miku, her childhood friend.

“Hi, Miku,” she answers while giving me an apologetic smile, knowing that our moment is over as she chooses the first choice, “I’m still at Chris’ place. Yeah, we are having a great time…” as Hibiki keeps talking, I flop on the bed face first, listening to the one way conversation as I let my body sink into the mattress and my horniness slowly dies down, avoiding looking at Hibiki since she is only clad in her red panties and still braless, _‘Damn, worst case of blue ball ever.’_

“Don’t worry I will be waiting for you, see you soon, Miku,” as Hibiki hangs up, I feel the mattress shifts as she comes close to me, her bare breast pressing against my back as she kisses the nape of my neck, “Sorry, Chris, I have to go.”

Grumping in answer, Hibiki ever so slowly moves away from me, I could hear Hibiki moving, “Where is my bra?” Her mutters reach my ears before the soft sound of her step leads her outside my bedroom before coming back, ‘ _She must have left it in the bathroom when she changed’_ I thought with a smile.

Soon, she is ready to leave, “Thank for everything Chris, see you at school tomorrow.”

“Yeah,” I manage to tell her clearly despite having my face against the mattress, but not five seconds later and I found myself not able to accept ending our weekend like this.

Quickly getting up from the bed, I run toward the entrance where Hibiki has just finished putting her shoes on, coat on with both bags on her shoulders, “What’s wrong Chris?” she asks me, not expecting that I will leave the room.

Taking a deep breath, I look her in the eyes “I never answered your question about what we are.” I begin before closing the distance between us and cupping her face, “We are friend crushing on each other, and this until we got together, are no longer crushing over each or just plainly found someone else to be with, so stop trying to put a clear title on us. If someone asks me, we are friend, close friends and when the two of us will have sex, because believe me it will happen, and are still okay around each other to the point of having a repeat, then we would upgrade it to friends with benefits, not that other need to know that part.

Hibiki has a smile on her face as she rests her forehead against mine, “So friends, huh?”

“Only until it becomes something better, which I don’t think we will have to wait long for that.” _‘One night is all I need to work my magic on your body and make you mine,’_ I thought, already imagining Hibiki under my ministration, screaming my name as her body is seized by numerous orgasms.

“I can work with that,” she says, snapping me out of my daydream.

“Me as well,” I reply before giving her a chaste kiss on the lips, “At least for now,” I wink at her as I gently push her toward the door, “now go, don’t make your childhood friend wait for you.”

Giving me a last look with her hand on the handle, “See you next time, Chris?”

“Yeah, come by anytime, Hibiki.”

The door closes with Hibiki’s departure, leaving me alone but not sad, after all, I will see her tomorrow at school. Turning away from the entrance I head toward the kitchen for an early dinner, then a bath before turning in.

Not in the mood for cooking, I’m rummaging throw my cupboards, “Ha, found it,” I exclaim once my hand is in contact with a box of cup ramen.

Not even ten minutes later and I’m seated on the couch with my instant noodle. I have to say that going from spending every minute with Hibiki attaches to me to the loneliness and the silence of my place makes it a bit suffocating.

Not able to bear it any longer, for now, I grab the remote that didn’t see any use today until now, put the television on a random show as I eat, still missing the banters Hibiki and I would have when she was here.

I enter the bathroom with my nightwear in hand, setting it in the basket with a towel I then disrobe myself, beginning with the top, throwing it behind me, where the basket of dirty laundry is before hooking my finger in the waistband of the bottom.

The sound of clothes hitting the floor interrupts my movements, confused a bit because it would be really unlikely that I would miss an unmoving target I turn toward its location, to see that the basket was rather full and that’s the top I added simply slide from the pile, dragging other in its fall, _‘Riiight, forgot doing a laundry this morning.’_

Sighing, I begin to pick up each piece of clothing and setting them carefully on the pile for them to not fall once more, I stop in my track once my hand lands on a black article, putting it eye level to look closely, it was the bottom of Hibiki’s matching set that she decides to leave behind, the black attire reminding me of Hibiki allure in it and how gorgeous and hot she was in it with the tight clothes clinging to her body.

While I know I shouldn’t do something like that unless I want to be seen as a pervert, I did it nonetheless since no one will ever know about it. Bringing the piece of cloth to my face, I take a deep breath into it, a particular faint scent that I can only assume to be Hibiki’s arousal was still lingering on it causing my whole body to shiver at it. Inhaling into it once more, one of my hand unconsciously made her way toward my shorts, stopping short going past my underwear as I retake control of myself.

Putting Hibiki’s clothes as well as those which fell back onto the pile for them to not fall again, I quickly pull down my bottom alongside my panties, proof of my arousal with a wet stain on my underwear that I ignore as put them on the pill before walking away and sliding the second door open.

After washing myself, I put a foot into the bathtub, the hot water is at the right temperature as I let myself slowly sink into it and releasing a sigh of pleasure once my body is fully submerged.

As usual, I let my thoughts wondered on the events of the day, the lazy morning spent with Hibiki accompanied by breakfast in bed, the date, that now I think about she must have been aware of it at some point, the many conversations we have about ourselves ultimately leading to our first kiss, the raw passion poured into it as we didn’t want to stop, and probably wouldn’t have if it wasn’t for me almost losing control over my tongue and stopping it.

The simple memory was enough to make me horny again and this time I have no intention to ignore it as I cup one of my breasts with one hand, gently massaging it while the other hand glides the length of my body until it reaches my sex, fingers gently caressing my folds as I stifle a soft moan.

Knowing that I’m ready, I begin inserting two fingers past my folds, moving and trusting with at a smooth rhythm, slowly building more pleasure, moans becoming louder while my other hand move from groping my chest to pinching a nipple.

A third finger is soon added as I pant heavily, the hand torturing my nipple joining the other between my leg, circling my clitoris, causing me to throw my head back at the new level of pleasure, my vision blurring when I briefly open my eyes, closing them afterward to focus on my upcoming release.

Images of Hibiki begin to plague my mind as I speed up things, fingers of one hand trusting furiously inside me while the others rub forcefully my clit bringing me closer and closer to what seems to be a big orgasm.

“HIB-” the name trying to escape my lips was strangled by a moan even louder upon reaching one of my biggest orgasms, waves of pleasure crashing onto my body as I fully lean back into the bathtub, each of my limbs going slack and tears flowing down, blurry eyes fixed on the ceiling as I ride my orgasm.

_‘If just thinking about her while doing it can bring me to such a big orgasm, maybe I’m the one who will be ruined for anyone else but Hibiki if we go all the way,’_ I thought while coming down from the high of my release and able to see my surrounding clearly once I whipped the small tears.

I groan when I realize that if it weren’t for the call, Hibiki and I would probably be still at it on my bed, with her probably quivering in pleasure under my hands and mouth.

I sink deeper into the water until it goes past my head to chase anymore thought concerning Hibiki.

I walk into my bedroom, clad in my nightwear and a towel on my head I dry my hair, sinking my whole head into the bath was not a smart move.

My phone ring while I’m still at it, flopping on my bed, I free one hand to take a look at the caller; it was senpai.

Curious about why she would call me, I pick up the call, “Ya, senpai.”

“ _Yukine, how have you been?_ ”

Having a bit of difficulty to dry my hair with one hand, I put my phone on speaker before letting it drop on my laps, my now free hand joining the other in the process of drying my hair, “I actually had an amazing weekend,” not bothering hiding the happiness in my voice.

_“And it would be thanks to Tachibana, I guess?”_

“Yeah, how did you know?” I ask a bit puzzled at how she was able to link my happiness to Hibiki, then my conversation from yesterday about authorizing her to brag about our newfound relationship to anyone, especially senpai came back in mind, “Wait… did she call you?” I ask her, this time already knowing the answer but still wanted to hear it for confirmation.

_“Actually yes, Tachibana gave me a call not very long ago, she sounds pretty happy, maybe the happiest I ever heard if I dare to say. Anyway, she was pretty eloquent about your weekend together, going, to my surprise, from her homework to the café she found and even how the two would call each other by your given name, sharing secrets that no one else knows about you two and that you’re now the closest of friend.”_

I couldn’t help but shake my head a little to everything I’ve heard, _‘She really didn’t hold back anything,’_ I thought as I drop the towel on my side once dry and begin to braid them, “This girl… I guess that the reason for your call, to ask me if she was telling the truth?”

_“My, I know Tachibana is not one for lies, she’s only speaking the truth, but it may be possible for her to mishear something, causing a misunderstanding, but again it’s not that. What concerned me was some of the things she said, like the two of us hugging and cuddling a lot during the weekend, going to a… a- a **date** together, even f- fl- **flirting** with each other,” _I smirk hearing senpai stuttering with those two simple words but not deciding to pick on it, _“Anyway I have to ask Yukine, what are you doing? Are you by any chance trying to stand between Kohinata and Tachibana?”_

Stifling a laugh was harder than expected after hearing senpai, “What are you saying, senpai. It’s like Hibiki told you, the two of us are just close friends who happen to know some secrets from the other,” I say on managing to put my laugh fully under control and talking with a serious tone.

_“Ah, my apologies, Yukine. Still, I’m relieved, I thought for a moment that you had feelings for Tachibana and were acting on them.”_

_‘Bullseyes, but not like I will tell her anything,’_ I thought, this time holding back my laugh, “Believe me senpai, if I had feelings for Hibiki, nothing could stop me from stealing her and make her mine” I’ve decided to joke.

_“What do you mean by this, Yukine?”_ I could feel senpai furrowing her eyebrow while asking her question.

Following in the joke I keep up, “I mean one night with her to teach her body what I can do for her is all I would need to make her forget about her childhood friend or whoever she would have in her heart.”

Senpai’s voice is a bit harsher now, _“Yukine, you-“_

“Joking, joking,” I cut her to ease up the growing tension, “you take this too seriously senpai, can’t even prank you with it,” I tell her, releasing a sigh afterward.

_“Oooh… I see, just a joke,_ ” her hollow laugh could be heard, sign she was really taking what I was saying seriously.

_‘Good thing I didn’t push things further.’_ I thought as I finish my braid and was satisfied with the result before standing from my bed, phone and damp towel in each hand I head for the bathroom, “How things are on your end, senpai?” I ask her for some idle chat.

Door of the bathroom open, I throw the towel on the top of the pile while still listening to senpai, not bothering myself to pick them up when I heard the sound of clothes falling as I already planned to launch a laundry tomorrow before going to school. Back in the bedroom, senpai was still talking about everything she has done with the other never really far from her.

Once she has done, I release a yawn, “Well, senpai, it’s a school day tomorrow so I better go to bed.” I tell her, cutting short on any possibility to extend the call while climbing my bed, _‘Seem like what I did in the bath drain me more than I thought.’_

_“Right, Sorry Yukine, it’s still day time here so I forgot what time it would be at home, I will leave you to have your rest, have a nice night.”_

“Have a good day, senpai,” I say, hanging up as I lay on my back, “I will have to talk to Hibiki about this call, I bet she would like to hear about it,” I voice aloud with a smile.

Forcing myself up I plug my phone at the same moment I receive a message.

My Dummy: _Hi, Chris, just wanted to thank you once more for the amazing weekend and everything you did for me. Good night._

The message brought another smile to my face, quickly tapping my answer, I tell her I also had a wonderful weekend in her company and that’s my offer to have sex is in her hand until I decide she don’t, I then proceed to change Hibiki’s profile display name.

I receive an answer when I took hold of the blanket, holding it with one hand, I check the content of the message with the other.

My Hibiki: I will think about it.

“Just the fact that you’re thinking about it is already my win, Hibiki. You just don’t know it yet,” I let out before finally laying on my bed and closing my eyes.

_‘Maybe I should buy some lingerie to be ready when this day will come, also some new clothes, sexy one, I think I saw a nice red virgin killer at that shop the other day.’_

With multiple thoughts on how to seduce Hibiki, possibly making her mine as well as my girlfriend officially, I fall asleep with a smile on my face, looking forward to tomorrow as well as the following days, the week is over.

**END**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, it's the end of my first fic.
> 
> I honestly think I'm not good at writing romance.
> 
> What do you think ?


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